Finding Your Own Happiness
by FireStarDragon
Summary: Naruto has brought Sasuke back to the village. The village elders have decided on a way for Sasuke to prove his loyalty: marry a loyal Konoha citizen. The candidate they have in mind is surprising, but why is Naruto so unhappy with the idea? SasuNaru.
1. Prologue: Coming Home

Author's note: Hi everybody! This is my first fanfiction, so please review and let me know what you think. Also, I don't have a Beta, so if there are any errors in spelling, punctuation, etc., let me know. If you like it, I'll post another chapter. If not, I would like to know what I'm doing wrong so I can improve. OK. Here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, so please don't sue me!

Prologue: Coming Home

Blood fell to the ground, marking a trail where the boy limped. He was hunched slightly, carrying the weight of another. He spared a glance at the one he carried, a small smile lighting up his features. He returned his gaze to the village in the distance, perhaps 150 feet away. Blue eyes glittered with pain briefly before being replaced by a familiar determination. He had always liked a challenge; this would be no exception.

Taking a deep, slightly labored breath, he sprinted forward, carrying something important.

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Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuuga walked towards the gates of Konoha. As usual, Akamaru tagged at Kiba's heels. The group was discussing the details of their newest assignment.

"Man, I wish we had a more exciting mission. " Kiba said, folding his arms and frowning while he walked with his teammates.

Shino sighed, "The Hokage needs to have this scroll delivered to the Kazekage. We're not busy, so it only makes sense that we should do it."

Kiba looked like he was about to protest, but paused, looking at Hinata. Her curious gaze was fixed on Akamaru. The large dog was sniffing the air wildly, tilting his head as the wind shifted. Akamaru barked loudly, then raced towards the gates. Kiba took off after him, calling Shino and Hinata.

When they reached the gates, they couldn't believe their eyes. Naruto Uzumaki was standing there, full of wounds, blood staining his clothes. However, it was what he was carrying that surprised them the most. Sasuke Uchiha, missing nin, also bloodied and battered.

Naruto smiled brightly in his usual way, then cheerfully said, "Hey guys! What's up? Can you call a medic?" Then he promptly fainted, still holding onto the unconscious Uchiha.


	2. Chapter1:Hospital Rooms and Prison Cells

Author's note: Hi! I am so thrilled that people have reviewed this story positively. I know it's just a few reviews but it really means a lot to me. So, thank you to everybody that reviewed, favorited, or put this on their story alert! You guys are the greatest! Also, thank you to everyone who just stopped in and read it. You are also very awesome! Anyway, here's the official first chapter. Please review and let me know what you think! If you like it, I'll post a new chapter as soon as I can!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, no matter how much I wish I did.

Chapter 1: Hospital Rooms and Prison Cells

Sasuke was warm, comfortable even. He was dimly aware of voices and a bright light that made him want to open his still-closed eyes. He was tired and his mind was hazy. The raven- haired boy wondered idly if he was dead…

No, that wasn't right. Warmth, comfort, bright light? Isn't that what Heaven was supposed to feel like? Ha. That idea was laughable to the boy. With everything he had done, killing people, including his own brother, consuming his life with revenge, and even attempting to kill his best friend on more than one occasion...

That stopped his train of thought immediately as he began to remember what happened. Naruto had found him and challenged him to a fight. He recalled telling the blond to give up, and he was too weak to stop him. Naruto, true to form, did not back down. Instead he had smiled and vowed to take Sasuke back to Konoha, no matter what. Then the fighting started, and now Sasuke was here. But, where was here?

He slowly opened his bleary eyes, and moved to rub them. Or tried to. His hands were shackled to something. He blinked a few more times to clear his vision. He glanced around without moving his head and he realized he was in a familiar setting. Konoha hospital. He slowly moved his head and saw a head of blond hair next to him. Naruto was sleeping next to him, close enough that he could feel him breathe. Sasuke was a bit surprised that he didn't notice this sooner.

_Well_, he thought as snuggled closer to Naruto, _I'll blame the morphine_. Then he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

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Sakura's mind was in turmoil. The girl didn't believe what had happened, even though she had been there. The day had started off normal. She had been working at the hospital like always, healing a young girl's sprained ankle. Then, it seemed like all Hell had broken loose. She replayed the events in her head.

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_**Flashback. 2 hours earlier...**_

Sakura heard Kiba before she saw him. He burst in through the hospital doors, yelling for her to come immediately. Sakura heard the urgency in his voice and asked what was wrong. The Inuzuka did not reply, instead tried to catch his breath and pointed in the direction he had come from.

The pink haired girl's eyes widened. Shino, Hinata, and the two guards from the village gates were carrying two very familiar people, full of injuries and blood dripping onto the ground. Sasuke and Naruto.

For a split second, she felt like panicking but then her medic's instinct kicked in. She called more medics to assist her and they rushed the injured boys to the emergency room.

"Get the Hokage. We're going to need her." Sakura ordered Hinata. Hinata still looked shaken but nodded and took off.

Sasuke's body was full of cuts, most superficial, but they bled profusely. He had a broken leg and bruises turning his usually light skin a deep shade of purple. He was suffering from blood loss and his breathing was impaired due to six broken ribs. He was quickly bandaged and his broken bones were set. He put under heavy sedation and pain killers.

Naruto was worse off. His chest had stab wounds, both life-threatening and superficial. He had an artery in his leg cut, which caused a lot of his blood loss. The knuckles on his right hand were scraped raw and broken. His arms were full of first and second degree burns which began to bleed. His left lung was on the verge of collapse. However, the wound that scared Sakura the most was on his neck. The slash was deep and straight, like someone had tried to slit the boy's throat. A normal person would have certainly died, but fortunately for Naruto, the Kyuubi had different ideas. Sakura was silently glad for the Nine-Tailed demon and his tendency of healing his host, even if he only did it because he needed Naruto's body to survive.

Naruto had woken up and started thrashing around while he was being stitched up. This movement ripped open the wounds, ruby-colored liquid staining the bed and white sheets. He kept asking where Sasuke was. That saddened Sakura and she was relieved when a blonde woman entered the room telling everyone to stand aside. The medics moved away quickly.

Tsunade noticed the desperation and pain in Naruto's eyes, "You'll see Sasuke when you're not about to bleed to death. He's fine. Unconscious, but in stable condition." She said this while she healed the cut artery, green glow engulfing her hands.

"I promise." she added, looking back at Naruto. He nodded. Then his head collapsed onto the pillow.

_**End of Flashback**_

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It had been nearly five days since Naruto had come back with Sasuke. Sakura had been checking and recording Naruto's vital signs when he began to stir. He opened his blue eyes while Sakura gasped, happiness taking her breath away.

"Naruto!" She called, dropping her clipboard and pen and helping him sit up.

"Hi Sakura-chan." he greeted her, then grinned. Sakura smiled too, then suddenly, her mood changed.

"Naruto, you are such an idiot! I'd beat the living hell out of you if you weren't so injured!"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, looking confused.

"Don't you 'huh' me! You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Sakura yelled, balling her fists. Before Naruto could reply, she continued. " This was your 'super-secret mission' you couldn't tell me about? Getting Sasuke-kun back and nearly getting yourself killed?" By now the pink-haired girl was pacing the room, back and forth, green eyes blazing with anger. Naruto was scared. It seemed likely that Sakura would beat him up. He had never seen her so angry before.

Suddenly, Sakura stopped. She was standing at the other side of the room, when she raced toward Naruto. He was sure she was going to punch him. He braced for impact…

Instead, Sakura hugged him tightly. When she spoke, her words came out in a sob. "Naruto, I'm so glad you're alright. Thank you. Thank you for coming home safely and bringing Sasuke-kun back to me." She cried a little louder now.

Naruto wrapped his arms around his crying friend. "There's no need to cry. Everything's OK now." He whispered softly to her. Sakura's face was buried in his neck and he could feel her tears wetting his bandages.

With a sniffle, she pulled away from him slowly. "Yeah. You're right." She said wiping away the tears on her face. She took a breath to calm herself. " Let me check your injuries." Sakura offered, starting to remove the now wet bandages from his neck. To her surprise, the slash on the blond's throat was healed. All that remained was a narrow pink line. Sakura was about to comment on this when the door opened suddenly.

"Baa-chan, it's you!" Naruto smiled when he saw Tsunade step into the room. The woman smiled in greeting to the two teens, while Sakura continued removing the rest of the bandages.

"Good work Sakura." She told the girl after all the bandages were removed. Tsunade checked Naruto over once more. " Naruto, you're a lucky brat. You can go home today if you want."

"Alright!" Naruto cheered, then he remembered something " Baa-chan, where's Sasuke?" he asked, looking around the room. Tsunade looked away and replied, " He's not here."

"Where is he then? A different room?" Naruto asked, sounding hopeful.

"No." This time Sakura answered him, sounding sad again. Naruto looked confused.

Tsunade sighed, "Naruto, you need to understand that Sasuke was a criminal and is still considered to be one. So, like any criminal, he was sent to prison."

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Sasuke was half-asleep when he heard voices. He sat up on his cot in his small cell so he could better hear what was going on.

"Damn it! I want to see him!" Sasuke guessed that was Naruto's voice.

"I'm sorry. No." Most likely the guard's voice.

"Let me see him!" Naruto yelled.

"No." the guard said, patience wearing thin.

This continued for close to ten minutes until another guard finally snapped,"Just let the kid in, Tama! I'm sick of hearing this!" the man sounded exasperated.

Sasuke almost felt like laughing as he listened.

"But Gen, we'll get into trouble!" the first guard, Tama, whined.

"Who cares? As long as this kid shuts up!" Gen said, sounding frustrated. There was a screeching sound as a metal door opened.

"See, was that so hard?" Naruto called as he walked through the door and into the cell block.

Sasuke listened as Naruto's footsteps drew nearer. "Sasuke! Where are you?"

Naruto's voice was very loud to the raven-haired boy. He scowled and said,"Do you have to be so loud, usuratonkachi? It's giving me a headache."

Naruto smiled broadly as he approached the cell. He frowned when he actually saw it. It was probably 8 feet high and 12 feet wide, shaped like a square. Sasuke was sitting on a cot, a thin sheet rolled up on the edge next to a flat pillow. A sink and toilet were the only other fixtures in the room. "How are you doing?" Naruto asked, lowering his voice.

"How do you think I'm doing? I'm locked in a tiny cell talking to an idiot." Sasuke replied, his voice sounding harsher than he meant.

"Oh." Naruto paused, then continued, "How long have you been here?"

"After I woke up, they brought me here. That was two days ago." Sasuke answered, studying Naruto carefully.

Naruto noticed this and said, "Yeah. I'm all healed. I just got up today."

"No. That's not what I was going to ask." Sasuke looked away suddenly, as though embarrassed. He was actually going to ask Naruto why he had been sleeping in the same bed as him but decided against it. Instead, he asked,"How long do you think I'll be here?"

Naruto was quiet, thinking about it. "Hopefully not too long. I will speak to the Hokage on your behalf and she might be able to work something out." he answered.

"Hn." was the Uchiha's reply. It was quiet for a while, neither boy knowing what to say to the other. After a few more moments of silence, Tama's voice was heard,"Hey kid! Time's up!"

"You better go, Naruto." Sasuke said, lying down on his cot.

Naruto nodded, then smiled."Don't worry, Sasuke. I'm sure everything will work out. I'll see you later."

"Hn." was Sasuke's reply.

Naruto got up and walked away. He didn't want to leave Sasuke but he had no choice. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto believed Tsunade could work something out.

_She has to,_ Naruto thought as he left the prison building and headed towards the Hokage's office.


	3. Chapter 2:Important Discussions

Author's note: Hey everybody! I can't believe that this story received more good reviews, favorites and story alerts! It's unbelievable how amazing you all are. I'm so lucky to have a group as readers as cool as you! I am so excited to present the latest chapter. Anyway, all reviews and constructive criticism would be highly appreciated. OK, let's get down to business, shall we?

Disclaimer: I own Naruto only in my dreams, but not while I'm awake.

Chapter 2: Important Discussions

Tsunade sat at her desk, annoyed. She glared at the massive stack of paperwork that still needed to be completed. To her, it seemed to look smug. Gathering her resolve, she picked up a pen and started to work... until she heard a knock on the door, less than a minute later.

She sighed loudly and said," Come in."

Shizune stepped into the office, carrying another stack of paperwork. The younger woman placed the forms on the desk and frowned when she saw the amount of work that still needed to be completed. "Tsunade-sama, you can't just let your work pile up like this. If you keep this up, it'll never be completed."

Tsunade groaned, "Yeah. Don't remind me. Is that all?" Shizune nodded and walked toward the door, but stopped at the threshold. She seemed to be listening for something. She remained still for a while, then smiled. "Naruto is here to see you." Sure enough, Naruto could be heard calling for Tsunade.

Tsunade smiled a bit. "Alright. Thanks, Shizune."

Shizune nodded and said, "You're welcome." Then she walked out, saying hello to Naruto who had just entered the room.

Naruto plopped himself down on one of the chairs in front of the desk and said, "Baa-chan, I need to talk to you." The blonde woman noticed the seriousness in the boy's tone and asked him what was wrong although she could already guess who this conversation would be about. "It's about Sasuke," he said.

Tsunade wasn't surprised, "What about Sasuke?" she asked.

"I just saw him in prison. He's locked in this cold, tiny cell all by himself. Isn't there anything you can do to get him out of there?"

Tsunade sighed. "No. I'm sorry."

Naruto was shocked by how quickly she answered. It seemed to him that she wouldn't even consider the idea. "But you're the Hokage!" he exclaimed, his feelings evident in his voice. "You should be able to do something! Can't you just order the guards to let him go?"

"It isn't that simple, Naruto." Her voice was soft as she spoke. She didn't want to upset Naruto any further, but he still needed to understand, "Sasuke is in prison, which is where he should be."

"You're wrong! You make it sound like he's a horrible person and deserves to be there. Well, I have news for you. He isn't. He's had a hard life and has made some stupid decisions, but he still deserves a chance!" Naruto said, eyes flashing with anger and a hint of sorrow.

Tsunade was beginning to get frustrated. This conversation had turned into an argument and she didn't have the patience to deal with an emotional Naruto, "Naruto, why can't you get it through your thick skull that Sasuke is a criminal? It doesn't matter how much you believe that he isn't. The fact still remains that he ran away from the village, which makes him a traitor. He is guilty of treason." Tsunade's voice had risen while she spoke, her frustration at Naruto's stubborn behavior evident.

Naruto was quiet but still visibly angry. His fists were clenched tightly, knuckles turning white. He looked straight into the woman's brown eyes and said, "I already know all that stuff. It doesn't matter to me." Much to Tsunade's surprise, Naruto smiled. His anger seemed to melt away like frost in the morning sun. He continued to speak, "Sasuke is still important to me. Despite all the bad things people may say about him, he'll always be important. To me, he'll never be a criminal or traitor. He's just Sasuke, my best friend."

Tsunade was speechless. She wasn't angry anymore, just in awe of this boy and his devotion to another. "Very well, Naruto. I will need to speak to the village elders, but perhaps I can convince them to be merciful. After all, Sasuke is still young and he can be a great asset to the village."

"Thank you Baa-chan. I knew you could help," Naruto grinned.

She smiled back and said,"Go home, brat. You just got out of the hospital and shouldn't be getting all worked up. I'll take care of things now."

"Yeah. Good idea." he said, stifling a yawn. "See you later." He called over his shoulder as he left the office. Tsunade watched him go, realizing that trying to convince the elders not to execute or imprison Sasuke for life was easier said than done.

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"Excuse me? Would you mind repeating that?" An elderly man wearing glasses asked, voice full of distasteful disbelief.

The Fifth Hokage felt like rolling her eyes, but refrained and repeated her suggestion. "I believe we should show mercy to Sasuke Uchiha."

"Why? All traitors are the same and should be dealt with in the same manner. For their treachery, they should be executed." An old woman, sitting near the man, replied with a tinge of venom in her tone.

Tsunade had guessed that she would say something like that.

"Koharu is right. Any criminal is undeserving of any kind of sympathy." The man, Homura Mitokado, agreed.

"Are you forgetting all the hell that kid has gone through at the hands of this village? We should do something to try to rectify the situation." Tsunade said, referencing the fate of the Uchiha clan.

Homura snorted in contempt, "That kid had a choice. Nobody forced him to become a traitor. He should have to suffer the consequences of his actions."

"I completely agree with Homura," Koharu Utatane said. A hint of suspicion crossed the woman's lined face. "What I want to know is why you are suddenly so concerned about the Uchiha boy. You didn't say anything when he was first locked up two days ago." She added, a slight smirk on her lips.

Tsunade returned the smirk, a defiant gleam in her eyes. "Simple. I was considering the possibilities." This statement caught both village elders off guard.

"Explain yourself, Tsunade-hime." Homura ordered.

The smirk on Tsunade's face widened. "Are you two forgetting the power of the Uchiha bloodline? If properly motivated, I'm sure Sasuke Uchiha could be an invaluable asset to the village."

This got both elders thinking, just like Tsunade knew it would. The blonde woman had needed to change tactics while speaking to the elders, appealing to their militant attitudes rather than their sense of compassion. Before she had even arrived to discuss the situation regarding Sasuke she had wisely decided that she wouldn't mention anything about Naruto's conversation with her. Knowing the elders as well as she did, she knew it would've only done more harm than good. Besides, they might have even suggested that Naruto himself was somehow involved in Sasuke's actions and they could have had him imprisoned as well.

After several moments of quiet, Koharu spoke, "You have made a surprisingly interesting point about the boy, Tsunade-hime. The only problem I see is the matter of his loyalty. How can we be sure that he won't try anything against the village?"

Tsunade hadn't planned for that question.

Fortunately for her, Homura answered. "A binding contract."

Tsunade frowned. "What type of contract?"

Homura stroked his beard thoughtfully."It'll have to be something that ties him to Konoha, but subtle enough to avoid any aggression from him."

There was another silence, then Koharu broke it, "How about an arranged marriage to someone loyal to the village? He can sign a marriage contract which will be binding and not include divorce. Plus, we could have someone near him at all times to keep an eye on him."

"Yes. I think that will work." Homura said, then he added, "However, if he breaks the contract in any way, he will be put to death. How does that sound to you, Tsunade-hime?"

Tsunade was fully aware that this might be the only way to give Sasuke a chance. If she said no, she was running the risk of gambling with the boy's life. Since her gambling luck was as bad as it was, she knew she had to agree. "Fine. How do we proceed from here?"

"I will write the contract and Koharu will select Uchiha's betrothed. In addition, I feel that Uchiha should still be punished." Homura said, then added, "Community service and low-ranked missions only, while being covertly supervised by other elite shinobi would be my suggestion."

Tsunade nodded.

"Excellent. Preparations will start immediately. Tsunade-hime, please have your assistant bring the files of all eligible candidates for the betrothal. Include only shinobi." Koharu requested.

Again, the Hokage nodded. "I'll have them brought over soon. When do you think you will have made a final decision?" she asked the elderly woman.

Koharu paused, then said,"I feel three days will be sufficient. After the decision is made, Uchiha will be released from prison. Homura, can you have a contract ready by then?"

The man folded his arms across his chest and answered, "Yes. I don't see why not. This matter appears to be settled now. Tsunade-hime, you may leave. Once this contract is completed you will be notified so it can be approved." The blonde woman merely nodded, then left.

As she walked back to her office, she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. The negotiations with the elders had been easier than anticipated. That was the cause of her uneasiness. She had expected that they would have put up more of a fight about the whole situation, but they didn't.

_They're planning something_, Tsunade thought. _That much is clear. __Knowing them, it's not going to be good, especially for Sasuke_.

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As soon as the Hokage had left them, the elders had a conversation. "Homura, this is a good solution to the Uchiha problem." Koharu said.

"Of course. If that kid doesn't fulfill all of the conditions in the contract, we'll finally be rid of those cursed Uchihas once and for all." Homura replied, sounding pleased. He sighed somewhat melodramatically, "It's a shame we'll need to go through this charade, even though the results will be the same in the end."

"Indeed. Tsunade-hime is naive and doesn't understand the need for decisive action like we do. This way, we're humoring her so she can't complain. We would be showing 'mercy' as she had suggested. Just make sure that the contract provides no room for that traitor to escape his fate." The elderly woman said, a malicious tone in her voice.

The man smirked evilly, and said, " Yes, the contract I'm envisioning is as breakable as glass."


	4. Chapter 3: A New Type of Prison

Author's note: Hi everybody! I can't believe the reviews this story received! People have even complimented my writing skills! I wasn't expecting anything like that. It's astonishing and it makes me feel so grateful to have such amazingly nice people reading and enjoying my story. Thank you to all my reviewers, and everybody who added this story to their favorites and alerts! Anyway, here's the third chapter. Please let know what you think. Alright, let's get started!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, unfortunately.

Chapter 3: A New Type of Prison

Sasuke was bored. Not surprising, considering all he really had to do all day was sit and think. The only time he wasn't bored was when he had a visitor. So far, he had been locked up for five days and had two different visitors; Naruto and Sakura. Naruto had originally seen him three days ago. When the blond had visited, Sasuke found the visit to be mildly amusing. Sakura had come by in the morning that day. She said he needed to have his bandages changed, which was true. The once white cloth was now a dingy grey. Fortunately, or as Sasuke had thought, _unfortunately_, she had brought some bandages with her. Two of the prison guards, Tama and Gen, had stood by, as the cell door was opened and he limped out, his broken leg numb. He didn't want Sakura to make a fuss, but she did. He certainly didn't want her touching him, but that happened as well. He was beginning to feel as if everything was against him.

Sasuke hadn't felt bored with Sakura there. That was true. However, he _did_ feel very annoyed and mildly creeped out as she stared at him. Her hands seemed to linger a bit longer on his skin than he felt was absolutely necessary. Luckily for him, the ever-impatient Gen had ordered her to leave after ten minutes. When she had left, she had cried a little, saying something about how happy she was, or something like that. He didn't know for sure and wasn't interested to know either. Sasuke had merely waved her off.

Naruto's second visit occurred around noon, same day. Naruto had gotten into a shouting match with Tama and the two were bickering back and forth, name-calling and swearing echoing throughout the prison. Finally, Gen had enough and said," Tama, if this kid isn't out of my sight in five seconds, I'm going to kick your ass. "

"Me? What did I do?" Tama protested while Naruto snickered.

"If you weren't such a dumbass, you'd know that this punk isn't going to leave until he sees that prisoner! I can't listen to this shit anymore. It's driving me crazy!" Gen said this last part with a hint of madness in his voice. There was a sound of footsteps, and a metal door screeched as it moved across the stone floor.

"Thank you, Gen." Naruto said, sounding rather amused.

"I need a drink..." Gen muttered as he closed the door behind the boy.

Naruto wasted no time. He rushed to Sasuke's cell, hoping to surprise him.

Sasuke, who had heard the exchange between the guards and Naruto, smirked when he saw the blond. "Wow, dobe. You really have a gift for pissing people off." Sasuke said, as a type of greeting.

"Heh. Of course. It's a specialty of mine." Naruto grinned. Then he stopped and said, "I'm sorry I haven't seen you for the past few days. Those guards are really strict. When I tried to come, they wouldn't even let me go near the building."

Sasuke was surprised by the apology. He didn't let it show, however. "It's fine. At least I get peace and quiet away from you while I'm here. " He replied, still smirking.

Naruto smiled again and seemed to remember something. He put his hand in his pocket, and removed an envelope, "Here, the Hokage herself told me to give you this. You need to read it right away." Naruto pushed the envelope through the bars of the cell's door. Sasuke picked it up, and opened it. Inside were two sheets of folded paper. As the Uchiha unfolded the paper, he suddenly felt very nervous, as though that paper was deciding his future. Sure enough, it did.

As he read the first paper, he realized immediately what it was. A contract. Not just any kind of contract. A marriage contract. According to the contract, he needed to be "legally bound to another" in six weeks. He eyes scanned desperately for a name, but none appeared. His worry turned to fury when he realized who wrote the contract. Signed neatly at the top, Homura Mitokado. That scheming old bastard. Another name doubled his anger. Koharu Utatane. Apparently, the old bitch had selected his "betrothed", whom he was supposed to meet...

"Are you okay? You don't look so good." Naruto said, beginning to sound worried. Sasuke ignored him. He quickly unfolded the second sheet and continued to read.

... When he was released from prison. Today, at six o'clock in the afternoon. Sasuke stopped reading, finally remembering that Naruto was still there and looked at him. Naruto's eyes were wide, and he looked almost afraid. "What does it say?" he asked quietly.

"I'm being released from prison. Today. Also, I will need to perform community service and low-ranked missions." Sasuke said, trying to sound unaffected by anything he read. He only partially succeeded. However, Naruto failed to notice the worry in the other boy's tone. Instead, the blond smiled, blue eyes shining with happiness.

"That's great! Didn't I tell you everything was going to work out for the best?"

Sasuke said nothing. Instead, nodded and tried to smile a little. Not for his own sake. The raven-haired boy definitely didn't feel like smiling. But for Naruto, who was so happy and blissfully unaware of the contract's words. Somehow, Sasuke succeeded because Naruto exclaimed, "That's the spirit! I can't wait to tell everyone the good news!"

"No. Don't." Sasuke said immediately.

Naruto looked puzzled, and asked why not.

Thinking quickly, Sasuke said," Wouldn't surprising everyone be better?"

Naruto thought about it and said, "You're right! I was really surprised and now I'm thrilled!" Sasuke was also surprised, but he was not happy. For some reason, the thought of marrying some random person really bothered him. Of course, he would never admit that out loud. He was an Uchiha, after all. Nothing bothered them.

A little voice spoke in the boy's mind. _If it doesn't bother you, why can't you tell Naruto?_

This made him freeze. Why didn't he tell Naruto about his impending marriage? For some unknown reason, the words refused to come out.

"Kid! Time's up!" Tama hollered. That snapped Sasuke out of his mental debate. He brought his gaze back to Naruto who kept smiling the whole time.

"I need to go, but I'll definitely be seeing you later!" Naruto called over his shoulder as he left the cell block. Sasuke said nothing. Instead, he resumed reading the remainder of the contract.

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At exactly 5:30 P.M., two ANBU showed up at the prison building. They had been sent to escort Sasuke Uchiha to the Hokage. The first ANBU, wearing a cat mask, carried a pair of crutches. The other ANBU, wearing a bear mask, passed a note to the prison guard on duty. The man quickly got up from the desk he sat at, and opened the iron door to the cell block. Both ANBU walked in with the guard. Sasuke watched them. They stopped in front of the cell door and the prison guard unlocked it.

"Let's go." The wearer of the bear mask ordered.

Sasuke took the offered crutches from the other ANBU wordlessly. Then, he started walking as best he could toward the Hokage's office.

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The trip took about twenty minutes. The ANBU didn't speak and neither did Sasuke. When he arrived in the office, a blonde woman was sitting at the desk. There were two others in the room. Two elderly people, a man and a woman. Sasuke already knew who they were.

The blonde eyed him warily. "So... You're Sasuke Uchiha. I've heard a lot about you. "

"Hn." was his reply.

Tsunade had been expecting that. " You know who I am, right?

Dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes. You're the Fifth Hokage," he pointed to the elders nearby,"and those are the members of Konoha Council."

Tsunade nodded and gestured to the chair in front of her desk. "Sit."

Sasuke did as he was told. Her gaze fell on his leg cast and the bandages that adorned his body. Tsunade was fully aware that despite all these wounds that still needed to heal, this boy was still a formidable shinobi.

Tsunade spoke,"Sasuke, as you are no doubt aware, you are a criminal. You have both attempted and succeeded in killing others. You have also committed treason against this village. That offense is typically punished with execution. However, it has been decided that you will live. You will be tied to this village by marrying a loyal villager. In addition, you will need to work off your debt to society doing community service. All conditions in the contract must be fulfilled. Failure to comply will result in your death. Do you understand this?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Just so we're clear, repeat the main conditions." The elderly man ordered him.

Sasuke suppressed the sudden need to roll his eyes, but spoke, "Fine. Condition one: Marry someone you've selected. Two: Perform all assigned community service, no matter what it is. Three: I cannot live on my own. Four: Have the engagement announced by the end of the week. Five: No high-ranked missions. Six: Have an escort at all times because I can't be left unattended for more than an hour. Seven: Spend the rest of my life dedicated to serving the village of Konoha. Eight: Be courteous and polite to all authority figures. Nine: Make someone happy. Ten: Do everything listed, or I will forfeit my life."

"Excellent. You do understand." Koharu said. She glanced at the clock, and announced loudly,"It is now six o'clock."

The door opened, and somebody walked in. Sasuke didn't turn to look at the person. The person spoke, "I'm here as you requested, Hokage-sama."

"Right on time. Sasuke, turn around and meet your future wife." Tsunade told him.

Sasuke turned around slowly and looked at the person. She had long dark hair, pale skin, and unusually colored eyes; white with a hint of lavender and seemingly no pupils. She seemed almost familiar to him…

"Sasuke Uchiha, you will marry Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the Hyuuga clan." Koharu said, sounding pleased with her choice.

The raven-haired boy remembered now. This girl, she had been that quiet one who always stared at Naruto when they were in the academy together. That was the only thing Sasuke had noticed about her. Aside from that, he was fairly certain they hadn't even spoken to one another.

"Hello, Sasuke-san. I'm sure you were told about this arrangement." Hinata said, not looking directly at him.

"Yes," he replied.

"My father had heard about what was to happen regarding you, so he volunteered me to be your wife." Hinata said softly, but glanced at the elders.

"Hn." Sasuke understood. The elders had probably convinced Hiashi Hyuuga to volunteer his oldest daughter. He wondered what they had told the head of the Hyuuga clan to make this happen.

Koharu addressed the two teens,' 'Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga, in six weeks from now, you will marry in a public ceremony at which all villagers will attend. Before the week is done, the engagement will be announced. After the announcement, you will begin to plan your wedding. You may spend time together, or you may not. The choice is yours."

Sasuke frowned. Today was Friday, so in less than two days, everyone will know what was going to happen. Sasuke glanced at Hinata. She looked nervous, possibly even scared. She adjusted her hair so it covered her neck, but not before the Uchiha's ever-sharp eyes saw a mark. It resembled a bruise, but wasn't the right color. In fact, if he didn't know better, he would even say it was a hickey.

Sasuke returned to gaze back to Tsunade, who had started speaking. "Thank you for your time, Hinata. You may leave."

Hinata respectfully bowed to the important people in the village, but addressed Sasuke. "It was nice seeing you, Sasuke-san."

The boy nodded,"It was nice seeing you too, Hinata."

She smiled slightly then hurried out the door.

"We shall take our leave as well. " Homura said, while Koharu agreed. Before he left, Homura said, "Expect hard work in the days to come, Uchiha." Then he disappeared from the office, Koharu following.

Once they were gone, Tsunade sighed in relief, while Sasuke scowled. The woman noticed this and said, "Listen up. Since you can't live alone, you will need someone to live with. I don't think Hiashi would like it if you and Hinata lived together before the wedding, so what do you want to do?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. Isn't that obvious?" Sasuke answered, sounding annoyed.

Tsunade was irked. "Want to know something, brat? If it were up to me, I'd throw your ass back in prison and throw away the key. The fact is, I did all this negotiating, not for myself, or even you, but for someone else. Someone who insists that you aren't as much of a bastard as people think." She paused before adding, "Someone who feels you still deserve a chance."

"Let me guess... Naruto, right? Does he also know about this marriage and the likely possibility that those elders are going to work me to death, or if I don't complete my tasks, just execute me?" Sasuke asked angrily, glaring at the woman.

"No. It would probably hurt him." She replied softly, remembering her conversation with Naruto.

Sasuke was confused by her tone. Not knowing what else to say, he asked, "What now?"

The Hokage frowned. "You need somewhere to live. Is there anyone you were close to before you left the village?"

Sasuke smiled bitterly,"What kind of idiot would want to harbor a traitor in their house?"

Before she could reply, the door flew open. Naruto walked in. He smiled at the two people in the room. "Hey Sasuke, Baa-chan! You both look so serious. What's going on?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Naruto smiled as he opened the door to his apartment. He walked in and said, "Here we are! Home, sweet home."

Sasuke walked in slowly. Naruto noticed this and asked the raven-haired boy if he wanted any help.

"No." was the annoyed reply.

Naruto watched the other boy and commented, "It sure was nice of Baa-chan to heal your leg. It's convenient, because if you had your leg in that cast, you would've needed those crutches and I would have needed to carry you up _all _the stairs.''

Sasuke frowned and resisted the urge to blush. As much as he didn't want to think about it, Naruto had actually lifted up him up, bridal-style, and carried him up the second flight of stairs leading to the apartment. He had been able to climb the first, but slowly. Apparently, too slow for Naruto.

One inside, Sasuke sat on the couch, feeling tired. Today had been a long and grueling day. He was pleased it was nearly over. Naruto sat on the arm of the couch, watching him. "Sasuke, are you hungry or anything?"

"That depends. What do you have?" he asked the blond.

Naruto smiled broadly, and Sasuke knew he wasn't going to like the answer. " Only the greatest food ever; ramen! "

"No."

This reply stunned Naruto. How could anyone _not_ like ramen? It was unbelievable! Then, Naruto began talking, or more accurately, _ranting_, about how great ramen was. Sasuke merely sighed and silently cursed Tsunade who had suggested to Naruto the idea of Sasuke living with him.

As he listened to Naruto rant, he realized that by accepting the terms of the elders' contract, he had just entered another prison. This time, it would be up to him whether he wanted to be executed or lived. He wondered idly if living was so important. To him, that contract was so demeaning and who knows what kind of other plans the elders had in store for him. He might just fail, no matter how hard he tried.

Or, he just might be able to beat them at their own game. This last thought brought a smirk to his lips. His mood brightened and he said," Naruto. Shut up and get me some ramen."

Naruto smiled triumphantly before saying," I knew you would see it my way!" as he walked into the small kitchen. For some reason, Sasuke thought about the other boy's smile and cheerful behavior over something so simple.

_Perhaps living would be so important after all..._ Sasuke mused as he went into the kitchen.


	5. Chapter 4: Actions and Reactions

Author's note: Hello everybody! Thank you to my wonderful reviewers! You guys are so awesome, you bring awesomeness to a whole new level! I normally reply to my reviewers but I've been busy lately, so I hope you'll accept my apology in the form of a new chapter. Just know that I really appreciate you all so much! Also, thanks to everyone who favorited and put this story on alerts! I'm glad you find the story interesting. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think about this chapter. It was a challenge to write. I had to go through quite a bit of trial and error before I was finally satisfied with it. If you like it, it'll make all my effort worth it and I'll be really happy! If not, just tell me what I did wrong and I'll try to make it better next time. Alright, let's get started!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I'd be so happy if I did.

Chapter 4: Actions and Reactions

Sasuke glared at the calendar. Today was Sunday, and later on his engagement would be announced to the whole village. Naturally, he wasn't too thrilled. He continued to sip his tea, trying to think about something else. His gaze fell on a folded sheet of paper, near the couch where he was currently sitting. He placed his tea in the small table in front of him, and leaned over to retrieve the paper. He unfolded it and read it. It was for Naruto. Apparently, Naruto had a mission today at 12:30 in the afternoon. Sasuke glanced at the clock. It was now noon and Naruto hadn't even woken up yet.

"Why am I not surprised?" he muttered to himself as he walked to the blond's bedroom.

Although the room door was open, Sasuke still knocked. Not surprisingly, Naruto didn't react. Sasuke called him. No response. Sighing, the raven-haired boy walked up to the bed and began to gently shake the sleeping boy while sitting on the bed. Losing his patience, Sasuke leaned over Naruto. He placed his hands over the whisker marks that adorned the other boy's cheeks. Then, he slowly started to pull at Naruto's face. He pulled until Naruto's mouth was pulled into a peculiar smile, "Wake up, dobe. You have a mission." he said.

Naruto's eyes opened slowly and he looked at Sasuke, his blue eyes unfocused. Then he tried to speak but the words were unclear. Sasuke released his grip on Naruto's face and asked him to repeat that.

"What time is it? " asked Naruto, still sounding sleepy.

Sasuke glanced at the bedside clock and replied, "Eight minutes past twelve."

Hearing that, Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Oh shit! I'm going to be late! Tsunade-baa-chan is going to kill me!" Naruto exclaimed, sounding panicked. He quickly got up, and in his haste, pushed Sasuke off the bed.

Sasuke hit the wooden floor with a thud. "Naruto, you better hope Tsunade kills you, or else I'm going to do it myself." he threatened.

But Naruto wasn't listening. Instead, he grabbed a change of clothes from his closet and darted to the shower, shedding his slept-in clothes along the way. Sasuke growled when a shirt landed on his head. _He's just begging for it now, _Sasuke thought as he got up and began picking up Naruto's discarded clothing.

Sasuke tossed the clothes into a hamper on the way back to the kitchen. Once back in the kitchen, he opened the cabinet and removed an instant ramen and put it on the counter. After he filled a teapot with water, he placed it on the stove top and turned on the gas burner. Sasuke returned to the living room and finished his tea. He took his empty cup, along with the dishes he had used when he had eaten breakfast and took them to the sink to be washed.

Once finished with the dishes, he removed the teapot off the stove and filled the instant ramen cup with hot water. While he did this, he noticed the shower had stopped running, indicating Naruto was almost finished getting ready. Sasuke removed a pair of wooden chopsticks from a drawer and left it near the ramen.

At nearly the exact time the ramen was finished, Naruto came out of the bathroom, tying his headband to his forehead. "Are you ready to go, Sasuke?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Dobe, I've been waiting for you." He replied, stirring the ramen.

"Alright, I just need to..." Naruto didn't finish his sentence. He had seen Sasuke with the freshly prepared ramen, and as if on cue, his stomach growled. Blue eyes widened. "Hey Sasuke, are you going to eat that?" the blond asked, wiping a bit of drool off his mouth.

Sasuke snorted, "Of course not. I made it for you."

Naruto smiled broadly. "Really?"

"Yeah. Let's go. If you're late, we'll both be in trouble." Sasuke replied, opening the door to leave. Naruto grabbed the ramen and chopsticks and left, feeling like today was going to be a great day.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

While they walked to Tsunade's office, Naruto ate his ramen. Sasuke didn't understand how anybody could eat ramen so often without getting sick of it. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Naruto spoke. He sounded almost embarrassed. "Why did you make me this?" he asked, holding the nearly empty ramen container.

The Uchiha looked at him and Naruto quickly added, "It's not that I don't appreciate it or anything, but... I guess I'm just curious."

"Hn." was his reply. Naruto thought that was all the response he was going to get until Sasuke continued," If you must know, it's so you won't complain like you did yesterday."

Naruto remembered. Yesterday had been similar to today. Naruto had a simple mission, and Sasuke, who wasn't allowed to be left alone, had joined him. The mission was to find a lost dog. Unfortunately, the dog was very skilled at running away. It had taken close to four hours to retrieve her and Naruto had unwisely skipped breakfast, believing the task would be accomplished quickly. Two hours into the mission, Naruto had started complaining about being hungry. It was very annoying to Sasuke, who was actually trying to find the runaway pet and complete the assignment. The moment the dog was returned to her owner, Naruto had raced to Ichiraku Ramen, dragging Sasuke along in the process.

Naruto grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck, "Sorry about that. " He gulped down the remainder of his instant ramen and tossed the used chopsticks and empty container into a nearby trash can. After a moment more of quiet, Naruto spoke again, "You know something, Sasuke? You're a pretty good roommate. So, um, thanks."

Sasuke shrugged. "I'm just doing what I need to. That's all there is to it." Naruto frowned a bit, hearing his reply. Sasuke noticed and sighed," But, I suppose you're welcome." Then he smiled slightly at Naruto. The blond's grin returned.

Truth be told, Sasuke really was a good roommate. In the short time he had been living with Naruto, he made everything neat and tidy. He cooked, cleaned, and even did the laundry. Originally, Naruto's apartment had been rather cluttered. There were empty food wrappers and containers all over the kitchen, clothes lying around, and even a few kunai on the ground. After reprimanding Naruto on his poor housekeeping skills, Sasuke had gotten to work, making the apartment look much better. Who would've guessed Sasuke was so domestic? Obviously not Naruto, but he was still happy about the whole thing.

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Before long, they had arrived at Tsunade's office. The Hokage was giving Naruto his mission details, while Sasuke sat nearby, listening. "Today, you will go on a routine scouting mission. There have been reports of bandits roaming around the perimeter of the village and I need you to investigate and see if there is any threat. "

Naruto nodded in understanding, "Is that all?"

"Yes, but you will be on a three-man squad, just in case. All three of you will meet up at the village gate." Tsunade answered.

"Alright. Who are my teammates?" asked Naruto.

"Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi."

"Sasuke isn't coming with me?"

"No. He can't leave the village. Besides, I need to talk to him anyway. You can pick him up when you get back." Tsunade said, glancing at Sasuke.

"OK. I'll see you guys later then." Naruto said, moving toward the door. Before he left, he said, "Be good, Sasuke!" He hurried out the door before Sasuke could reply.

Tsunade laughed when she saw Sasuke's frown. He clearly didn't like being spoken to as if he were a child, especially by Naruto, whom he was older than. "Lighten up, brat. You know he's just teasing you."

"Hn."

Tsunade sighed and said, "Fine. Whatever," her tone became serious when he changed topics. "Today is the day your engagement will be announced to the village."

"I know that. Don't tell me I'm supposed to do it." Sasuke replied, sounding annoyed.

"No. Originally, the elders were planning on having you propose to Hinata in a public area, then invite all the villagers."

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Like I said, they _were _planning that, but I convinced them not to do it. I told them it would look strange, because you're not that type of person. Everyone would be questioning the whole event."

"What's supposed to happen then?" Sasuke asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't know for sure, but I suspect the elders will not be mentioning anything about the true reason for your marriage."

Sasuke smirked, "Why wouldn't the villagers want to know that? Get married or die; sounds great to me." Sarcasm filled his voice.

Tsunade was getting annoyed with the boy. "If you had read the contract thoroughly, you would have noticed that nobody was supposed to know the true reason, aside from you, the bride, myself, and the elders, of course. If anyone else knew, then the condition would be violated and the contact would be broken."

"Isn't it strange that they would put something unusual like that in the contract? It's rather suspicious, wouldn't you agree?" Sasuke asked casually, as if he were merely asking how her day was.

Tsunade smiled slightly, "Yeah, but I suspect that if anyone else knew, they may disagree with the decision. Some may say you should just be executed, or you should be imprisoned." She paused. There was a knowing look in her eyes as she added, "I am certain that someone may think it was unfair for you to marry a stranger, and then that person may make a scene, which I'm sure would be bad for you."

Sasuke understood. "I can't even tell Naruto, even though I'm living under the same roof as him."

The Hokage nodded. "Yes. The elders said that this must be kept secret. If they found out that someone else knew, they would claim you broke the contract and set a date for your execution."

Sasuke wasn't surprised. It seemed that contract was specifically designed to be exceptionally fragile. One false move and it was over for him.

_I'll just need to be extra careful, and I'll be fine. _Sasuke thought.

"Sasuke, you can go now. The announcement will be made in an hour. An ANBU will be watching you, so be on your best behavior." Tsunade said, getting to work on the pile of forms that stood near the desk.

"Fine." Sasuke left the office, closing the door behind him.

Sasuke needed to go somewhere he wouldn't be noticed. He decided that the Hokage monument should provide some much-needed quiet.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Tsunade, Homura, and Koharu stood before the crowd of villagers. "Hello loyal citizens of Konoha. I have called you here to formally invite you to a celebration, less than six weeks from now." Tsunade began.

A few members of the crowd asked what kind of celebration., while others cheered. Homura answered, "A joining of two lives. A marriage."

More cheers greeted the answer.

"The wedding shall be between Sasuke Uchiha, last of the esteemed Uchiha clan, and his chosen bride, Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the Hyuuga clan." Koharu continued. There were whispers in the crowd as this bit of news reached their ears.

"Uchiha? Hyuuga? That's going to be one heck of a wedding!" was the main reaction of the crowd. Others, mainly shinobi, were a bit wary, knowing that Sasuke had left the village and had only recently been brought back . A few women in the crowd were jealous that Hinata was going to marry that "sexy Uchiha", as they had described him.

Tsunade waited a few moments to the crowd to settle down before continuing, "This invitation will be for all citizens of Konoha. It will be a joyous occasion that will be shared with all." This produced more cheering from the crowd.

It seemed as though the whole village was happy with news. At least, those who were actually present for the announcement.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_**Two hours later...**_

Naruto laughed, listening to Chouji and Shikamaru's stories from their youth. All three boys had been at the bottom of their class at the academy and were now making jokes about their behavior and how fun it was to annoy their teacher, Iruka-sensei. Their mission had gone well and now they were going to get something to eat.

They were at Ichiraku's, waiting for their ramen when a blonde girl with a long ponytail approached them. "Hey, have you guys heard the news?" she asked them.

The ramen was set in front of them and Naruto and Chouji immediately started eating. Shikamaru sighed and asked, "What news?"

The girl, Ino Yamanaka, was shocked. "You haven't heard about the wedding?"

Shikamaru looked confused. "What's so important about a wedding?"

Ino was excited and exclaimed, "_Sasuke Uchiha_ is getting married! That's why it's so important!"

Naruto, who was eating, nearly choked on his noodles. He turned his attention to Ino and said, "You must be joking!"

"No, Naruto, I'm not. His wedding was announced today!" She still sounded excited.

Much to Ino's displeasure, Naruto laughed. He still did not believe her. Shikamaru noticed Naruto's laugh sounded off, like he really didn't think this whole situation was that funny.

Once Naruto had quieted down, Chouji asked, "Hey Ino, who is Sasuke supposed to marry?"

Disappointment and a tinge of jealousy were both evident in her reply, "He'll be marrying Hinata Hyuuga at a ceremony in less than six weeks from now. Apparently, he asked her and she said yes."

Naruto froze. Suddenly, he felt sick. He stared into his bowl of ramen as the news sunk into his brain. His heart felt strange, as though it were much heavier than it should be and beat painfully in his chest. His silence worried his friends.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Ino asked, sounding concerned. He shook his head and tried to put a smile on his face. "Yeah, but I think I ate too much. I'm going home. I'll see you later." Naruto left quickly.

"I hope you feel better." Chouji called after him.

Shikamaru was quiet while Chouji and Ino were talking. He looked at the abandoned bowl of ramen on the counter. It was only half-way finished. There was no other empty bowls nearby. Obviously, eating had nothing to do with Naruto's sudden departure. Shikamaru could remember many times when Naruto had eaten at least four bowls of ramen and still wanted more. The mission had gone well and the only other significant thing that happened was the news about Sasuke's wedding.

Shikamaru didn't understand what was wrong. Sighing, he went to eat his ramen. _The only thing I know for sure is that this situation is going to be troublesome_.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Naruto still felt bad. The worst part was he didn't understand why. It's not like Sasuke was going anywhere or leaving again. But that's what it was beginning to feel like to Naruto. He continued his walk to the Hokage monument, trying to understand what he was feeling.

Once he arrived, he sat down at looked at the village. The sun was beginning to set and it dyed the sky orange. Normally, he would've found the sight relaxing but not today.

Ino's words replayed in his head, especially that last part, "Apparently, he asked her and she said yes."

But why? Why had Sasuke asked Hinata of all people? Why was Sasuke getting married at all? Did he need to? Most importantly, why was it bothering Naruto so much?

_No,_ he realized, _it's not bothering me. Instead, it hurts..._

"What are you doing here?" A voice startled him out of his depressing thoughts. Naruto looked at the speaker. It was Sasuke.

Forcing a smile, he replied, "I could ask the same thing of you." Sasuke knew immediately that the smile was a fake, but he didn't mention it. Instead, he answered Naruto.

"I was waiting for you to get back. I didn't feel like spending time with anyone so I came to wait up here, where nobody would bother me. What about you?"

Naruto spoke softly as he responded truthfully, "I just needed to clear my head and think about some things."

Sasuke looked surprised, "Really? I thought your head was always empty. You know, if you think too much, you might hurt yourself."

Hearing that, Naruto laughed a little. A small smile returned to his face. "Congratulations, Sasuke." he said, after a moment.

Sasuke froze, "What?"

Naruto tried to sound happy when he replied, "You're getting married to Hinata in a month and a half, right? You made a good choice. She's a nice person."

Sasuke said nothing as he listened to Naruto's words. "Naruto, you've got it all wrong..." he tried to say, but trailed off. He was about to say, "I didn't choose to get married," but he remembered his earlier talk with Tsunade, so he stopped, mid-sentence.

"What have I gotten wrong?" Naruto asked, hoping that Ino had been wrong about this whole marriage thing.

"The wedding isn't in a month and a half. It's in less than six weeks."

"Oh." Naruto could feel his hopes getting dashed, while Sasuke felt guilty but wasn't sure why.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them. This persisted until Sasuke said he was getting tired and wanted to go back to the apartment. Naruto agreed. Together, they left. Most of the walk was carried out in silence.

Once they caught sight of Naruto's apartment building, Sasuke challenged Naruto to a race, hoping that would make Naruto feel better.

As expected, the blond looked determined and said, "There's no way I'm going to lose to you, Sasuke."

The raven-haired boy smirked and said, "We'll see about that, usuratonkachi."

They sprinted to the building, skillfully evading people and objects in their path. Naruto arrived at the finish line first.

"See, I told you I'd win!" Naruto exclaimed while he waited for Sasuke to catch up. It didn't take long, only about eight seconds.

The raven-haired boy panted and said, ''Don't think you can win all the time, dobe. You just got lucky, that's all."

"Sounds like you're just jealous because I'm better than you!"

Needless to say, this banter between the two continued, even after they got inside the apartment. For both of them, it felt as if nothing had changed, as though there was no impending marriage or anything like that. Things felt normal, and it was nice.

There was only one question; how long would it be before everything _did_ change?


	6. Chapter 5: Difficulties

Author's note: Hi! Yay! More reviews, favorites and story alerts! You guys are so great. You really do know how to make a girl feel special! Anyway, special shout-outs to my wonderful reviewers: Darkflower93, Echo Uchiha, SeikaDragon, Sasuke-TheDuckButt-Head, requiems dream, wingedmercury, and LilyFlare: You are the absolute best! You took the time to review, so I need to thank you properly. Thank you for being such excellent readers! I'm so glad I get the opportunity for write for such nice people! OK. Here's the next chapter. As always, I would very much like your opinions on this chapter. So please review and let me know what you think! Ready? Let's get started!

Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 5: Difficulties

Hinata stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. She was feeling nervous. It had been three days since the engagement had been announced, and she had been trying to avoid everyone for as long as she possibly could. Since she was a shinobi, she still needed to go on missions. That was the only reason why she was leaving her home.

She was worried about how the village would react to her now that everyone knew she was supposed to marry Sasuke. It was likely that everyone would just wish her well or congratulate her. However, she wondered if her friends would treat her differently.

One person in particular mattered to her, and she needed to talk to him, to see if they could at least remain friends. This last thought made her sad, and she put the brush down, remembering how he would compliment her, saying how beautiful her hair was.

"I should have told him." Hinata whispered quietly, wiping away a stray tear. She looked at the mirror, and saw her own sad face looking back. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down. She needed to be strong. Hinata turned towards the door, not looking at the mirror.

_I can do this. _She thought as she left her house._ I hope..._

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"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" a cheery voice greeted the Uchiha as he continued his community service. He looked down from where he was perched on the roof, and saw a pink-haired girl smiling at him.

"What do you want, Sakura?" he asked, resuming his task of cleaning out the rain gutters on the roofs of the houses in the village. He needed to clean each one, and he didn't have time to waste on idle chit-chat.

Sakura quickly climbed to where he was and said, "I just want to see how you're doing."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and retorted, "How I'm doing what?"

He had hoped that would discourage her but instead he heard a peal of laughter. "You're so funny, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke thought about that. Him, funny? Well, that was something you didn't hear every day.

After Sakura was finished laughing, her smile began to shrink." Sasuke-kun, I want to speak to you." She sat down on the roof near him.

"Make it quick." He removed a chunk of rotted leaves out of the gutter and tossed it into a trash bag.

The girl fidgeted while she spoke, "I want to congratulate you on your... engagement."

"Hn." was his response.

Sakura continued, "What I mean is..." she paused, playing with her hair nervously. Finally, she gathered her courage and said what she really felt. "I don't think you should marry someone who doesn't love you!"

Sasuke, who had been diligently working, stopped. Dark eyes narrowed slightly, "All right, then. Who do you think I should marry?"

A blush formed on the girl's cheeks and she didn't make eye contact with him, "Well, someone who understands you and loves you." She stopped for a moment, wondering if she should continue. He said nothing. From his silence, she reasoned he wanted to hear the rest of her explanation. "You may not love this person now, but I'm sure if you gave me - I mean, this person - a chance, I'm sure you would be very happy."

"Sakura," he said softly.

Green eyes widened and her tone became hopeful, "Y-yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"You're being really annoying."

"What?" Sakura asked, dumbstruck.

Sasuke sighed and resumed digging out the rotted vegetation clogging the gutter. "Sakura, I don't feel that way about you. Don't ask me why. I just don't. I see you as a comrade. A friend, even. Not a girlfriend or anything remotely close to that. You need to find someone who has a romantic interest in you. Do you understand?"

Sakura was close to tears when she answered him, "Okay, but why do want to marry Hinata?"

When Sasuke replied, his voice was cold, "I don't want to marry her. I'm only doing it because I was asked to. No, not asked, _forced_ to. "

"But why, Sasuke-kun?" Her eyes were filled with worry.

Sasuke was fully aware he was giving away too much information, so he needed to think of something, and quickly. He decided on half of the truth, "The village elders asked me how I could prove I would be loyal to Konoha. I suggested an arranged marriage. They approved, and suggested Hinata. I agreed. That's all there is to it." Although it was true that an arranged marriage would tie Sasuke to Konoha, it sure wasn't his idea, nor did he select whom he was supposed to marry. Half of the truth.

"Oh. I guess I understand now. " Sakura still sounded sad, but she tried to smile anyway. She decided to change topics. "So, what's it like living with Naruto? I bet his apartment is a mess."

Sasuke smirked, remembering the mess when he originally arrived. "Yes, it was at first. But not anymore."

Sakura smiled a little more, "OK. I think I'll let you finish up now. If I keep hanging around like this, I'll be late for my shift at the hospital. Bye, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

As Sakura left, Sasuke realized how easy it had been to tell her about the marriage. He hadn't even cared that she had once claimed to love him. He didn't feel bad at all telling her he wasn't interested in her. There was one thing he didn't understand though.

Why wasn't he able to tell Naruto that easily when he first found out while he was still locked up? In fact, that's something he and Naruto wouldn't discuss. The wedding. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the two; don't talk about the wedding. Even when Sasuke would accompany Naruto on a mission and a stranger would try to approach Sasuke to congratulate him, the raven-haired boy would glare at the person, warning them. The stranger would then slink away, scared of provoking the Uchiha's wrath.

These thoughts were slowly but surely giving Sasuke a migraine. Damn Sakura. Why did she need to come by and bother him? It was bad enough that two ANBU had been watching him while he worked, which was annoying. Pair that with Sakura's comments and these thoughts, and that was a recipe for a brain hemorrhage. Despite this, Sasuke found one bright spot in this situation.

_At least I don't need to marry Sakura._

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Kakashi Hatake was amused. The silver-haired jounin had been assigned to keep an eye on Sasuke while he performed various tasks around the village. Kakashi didn't know Sasuke had so much work ethic. The Uchiha had cleaned all the rain gutters, washed the windows on the Hokage's mansion, pulled the weeds out of the gardens in the park, cut the grass in the park and he was even assigned to play with some small children. That last assignment had been particularly fun to watch...

Sasuke had his back turned and he was going to leave the park, when a group of about six children approached him. They looked to be about seven years old. They wanted to play catch, they had told him. He had originally declined, citing he didn't feel like it. One child had darted awa, and returned with an old woman. Sasuke had glared when he saw her. It was none other than Koharu Utatane. She then ordered him to play with the kids. Sasuke, being bound by that damn contract, agreed reluctantly.

Before he knew it, Sasuke was getting pelted with all sorts of objects. Baseballs, stuffed animals, sticks, rocks, and even a few mud balls. He had wanted to retaliate by hurling a few shuriken in those brats' direction, but with his perfect aim, he probably would've gotten in more trouble than what he was currently in. He had two options; take this abuse from these snot-nosed punks or fight back.

Fighting back was the only reasonable option. However, he couldn't do it using his usual method. No, what he needed was non-lethal force. Taking shelter from the various projectiles being thrown at him, he devised a plan.

There is an old saying that goes, " You need to fight fire with fire." In his experience, he found that to be true. But that saying did not apply to this situation. Instead, he needed to fight mud with mud.

Activating his Sharingan, he emerged from the bush where he had concealed himself. In all honesty, he did not need his Sharingan, but he wanted to instill a healthy bit of fear in those kids. What better way than with blood-red eyes?

Meanwhile, the children had been looking for him. When one spotted him, he alerted his fellow conspirators with a shout of, "There he is! Get him!" The children rushed Sasuke, but he was ready for them.

Sasuke, who was holding something behind him, addressed the kids, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah!" came the reply, sounding almost like a battle cry.

"All right, but look what I have." The raven-haired boy showed them a pail. It was medium sized, light green with small pink flowers etched on its surface.

The kids laughed and one boy commented sarcastically, "Ooh, a bucket! I'm so scared!" This elicited more laughs from the others.

Sasuke smirked, "Fine, laugh it up." He reached in to the pail...

Suddenly, there was a blur as something flew through the air, then a noise. SPLAT!

The children stopped. One little boy hit the ground. Then again, SPLAT! SPLAT! Two more children fell. SPLAT! SPLAT! All of the children were stunned, lying in the grass, except one. The little boy who had made that bucket comment. "No, mister, I didn't mean to -" Sasuke didn't let the boy continue. SPLAT!

All was quiet, until Koharu come rushing over. She had been watching the whole scene and she looked angry, "Uchiha, what have you done?" She demanded to know.

Sasuke continued to smirk, then pointed to the children. They were now laughing hysterically. "Mister, that was great! You're awesome!" praised the children, getting up and walking over to him. Their faces were coated with mud.

Sasuke blinked, and his eyes returned to their normal onyx shade. "Nothing. I was just playing with the kids, as you requested." He replied, holding up the pail.

"Yeah, and it was great, Koharu-sama!" A little girl said, a big smile on her muddy face.

Koharu looked shocked, "You actually had fun... with Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't like her tone when she spoke. It wouldn't surprise him to know if she had set up this little play date with these twerps intentionally, just to see if he could do it successfully. If he couldn't, she would then say he wasn't following the contract. _That contract is the bane of my existence._ Sasuke thought, frowning slightly.

The children crowded around the old woman, still happy. "Sasuke-sama is so cool! Did you see what he did? He got us good!" they said, excited.

"Koharu-sama, why aren't you as cool as Sasuke-sama?" one asked.

Koharu looked angry again. "All right, children, that's enough. Your parents are probably going to worry about you. Now, let's go."

Koharu turned away from Sasuke, trying to make the kids follow her. She herded them around her and moved in the direction of the park's exit. A little girl darted away, toward Sasuke. She smiled shyly as she approached him, and asked, "Sasuke-sama, can I have my pail back?"

He nodded and said," I found it under a bush. You should take better care of your stuff." He passed her the pail. She smiled and turned around to leave.

"Hey." The girl paused, hearing his voice. "You should be proud. That pail has served me well." he said, walking away.

The girl giggled with joy, then skipped back to Koharu and the other kids.

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Naruto looked around, frowning. It was who he wasn't seeing that made him frown. He was supposed to meet Shino, Hinata, and Kiba for a mission, but only Hinata and Shino were present.

"What happened to Kiba?" Naruto asked Shino.

Shino shrugged. "No idea. Maybe he's sick or something."

Hinata began to fidget, which Naruto noticed. "Hinata, do you know where Kiba is?"

When she replied, she didn't look directly at the blond. "Y-yeah, Naruto-kun. He isn't feeling well..." Shino looked at Hinata carefully, a quizzical look in his eyes. How did she know that?

Shino spoke, "Tsunade-sama said this mission needed to be accomplished by a four-man squad. I'll go tell her he's not here. This mission isn't overly important. Maybe we can reschedule it for later, when Kiba's here. You two wait here. I'll be right back." Before the others could reply, Shino left in the direction of the Hokage's office.

"I hope he hurries up. I want to see what Sasuke's doing." Naruto said, watching Shino start running. Naruto turned back and looked at Hinata. She smiled at him and asked, "Are you happy that Sasuke-san is back in the village?"

The blond boy grinned broadly,"I spent so many years training just so I could get strong enough to bring him back. Happy? You bet I am!" Before she could respond, he continued, blue eyes shining with happiness, ''Now, I get to see him every day, so why wouldn't I be happy?"

Suddenly, Naruto looked at Hinata and remembered that she was engaged to Sasuke. Naruto's smile faltered, and a flash of sadness was now visible in his once-happy eyes. "Congratulations, Hinata. Sasuke will be a good husband. Even though he sometimes acts like a bastard, he really isn't. He's just... complicated, I guess. So, make him happy, okay?"

Hinata was stunned. Naruto's eyes had clearly shown how he felt about Sasuke. That look in his eyes when he told her to make Sasuke happy... that was heartbreak. Was Naruto heartbroken over the marriage? Did he... _love_ Sasuke?

Naruto, realizing his tone had changed, smiled again, successfully erasing any sadness from his features. He laughed nervously and said," So... How have you been lately, Hinata? I haven't seen you in a few days."

"I was fine, just busy training with my father and sister." Hinata said, amazed with Naruto and his ability to conceal his sorrow so quickly. Before he could reply, Shino returned.

"Tsunade-sama said we could go on the mission next week. I ran into Kiba's mother on the way back and told her about the mission. She told me that she will ensure Kiba will be there."

"Okay. I'll see you guys later, then. " Naruto said, leaving. Shino nodded and left.

"Bye, Naruto-kun," called Hinata.

Naruto smiled and waved at her.

Instead of going home, Hinata sat down on a nearby bench, reflecting on the day's events, especially her important conversation with her own love.

_**Flashback. Earlier that day...**_

Hinata had found him at the training field. He had smiled brightly, seeing her. Hinata didn't smile and he asked what was wrong.

She kissed him briefly, "Kiba-kun, we need to talk."

Kiba's grin disappeared. He had been dreading this talk. It was inevitable, he knew, but still didn't want it to occur. "I know. It's about your marriage, right?"

Hinata nodded, tears shining in her eyes as she looked at him, "Yes. You know that means we can't be together anymore. I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" She asked, tears falling down her cheeks.

Kiba said nothing, and held her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head. "It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong. It was Hiashi's decision, wasn't it?"

She nodded. Kiba scowled. Ever since Hiashi Hyuuga had found about Kiba and Hinata's relationship, he demanded an end to it. He had said that he didn't want his daughter to be with a "mutt-handler", referring to the Inuzuka clan and their fondness for ninken, or ninja dogs, as their fighting companions. Hiashi had probably jumped at the opportunity for Hinata to marry Sasuke, the last of the noble Uchiha clan.

Kiba looked at Hinata and began to gently wipe away her tears. He tried to smile as he spoke,"Come on, Hinata. Smile. You look so beautiful when you smile."

Hinata laughed a little, although her tears still fell. She sniffled and said, "What do we do now?"

"I don't know. I guess we can be friends," Kiba suggested. He didn't want to be just friend with her, but it felt like he had no other choice.

"No, Kiba-kun. I don't want to be just friends with you." Hinata said quietly, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"What are you saying, Hinata?" Kiba asked, heart racing as he awaited her answer.

"I'm saying, why can't we be together for a while longer? Until I actually marry Sasuke. Then it will be over permanently."

Kiba's eyes widened. "You'll be cheating on Sasuke! If he finds out, won't he be pissed off?"

Her blush deepened, her cheeks nearly glowing pink. "H-he doesn't need to k-know about it." When she spoke, her nervousness was evident. She was terribly worried that Kiba would think less of her, and silently chastised herself for such an absurd suggestion.

The Inuzuka said nothing. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel. Half of him was thrilled he would get to remain Hinata's boyfriend, while the other half didn't want to deal with the negative repercussions of such actions.

"Hinata, I don't know. I need to think about it. You should too. Let's go, Akamaru." Kiba turned away from Hinata, Akamaru following him as he left the training field.

The dark-haired girl stood there alone, unsure of what she would decide. Her decision was also frightening, especially if she decided to continue seeing Kiba.

"What kind of person would that make me if I stay with Kiba-kun?" she whispered, worried.

_**End of Flashback...**_

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"Homura, we have a problem." Koharu said quietly to the elderly man.

Homura looked annoyed, "Yes, we do. That Uchiha punk is more committed than I thought. At this rate, he'll end up being well-liked in the village and will have completed all his community service. Then, he would end up evading his true punishment."

Both village elders were quiet as they each thought of an impossible task for Sasuke. They had thought he would have failed playing with the kids earlier. All of Sasuke's records had reported the same thing; anti-social tendencies. Yet, there he was, making a group of children laugh and praise how cool he was. It was infuriating.

"The only way to put an end to this is to give him so much work, he'll be too exhausted to finish." Homura said. The man got up from his chair and walked to a nearby cabinet. After he removed a key from his pocket, he unlocked a drawer and opened it. He removed a pair of black metal rings that were the same size as handcuffs. Unlike handcuffs, the rings weren't bound together. There were strange etchings on the rings that seemed to be evil in origin, as though they were specifically made for a diabolical purpose.

Koharu's eyes glinted coldly as the eyed them. "Oh. I see. That will definitely wear him out."

Homura looked pleased and said, "Indeed. These bands will sap his chakra and energy. He won't be able to resist fatigue. Nobody can function normally while wearing these. On his next assignment, he will be forced to wear them. After that, it's only a matter of time before he either collapses from exhaustion or doesn't complete his work. No matter what, the end result will still remain the same."

The woman's voice was filled with malice when she replied. "Yes. A dead Uchiha."


	7. Chapter 6: Helping Out

Author's note: Hey, everybody! Thank you to all my incredible readers who added this story to alerts and faves. You guys are so great! To my reviewers: Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are all so sweet to take the time to give me your opinions on this story! I truly appreciate you all so much, and can only hope you're enjoying what you have read so far, and will continue to like it! Anyway, this chapter is ready to go, and like always, I would like my extraordinary readers' opinions, so please review and tell me what you liked, or didn't like, about this chapter! Without further ado, let's begin.

Disclaimer: I shall own Naruto on the thirty-first day in February, but not until that day.

Chapter 6: Helping Out

Neji Hyuuga frowned as he read the details of his latest assignment. Today, he would need to supervise Sasuke Uchiha as he performed community service. Neji wasn't too happy with the assignment. He knew that it would be boring, and he wasn't sure how he should react to Sasuke. After all, Sasuke had only returned to the village two weeks prior, and he was supposed to marry Hinata in four weeks. Neji hadn't even spoken to Sasuke, but he had seen him around the village with Naruto. As usual, Naruto had been in a good mood, being very casual with the Uchiha, as if Sasuke hadn't abandoned the village and been gone for years.

Admittedly, Neji was wary of Sasuke. However, he did feel that Naruto was a good judge of character, and if Naruto was comfortable with Sasuke, then perhaps he wasn't so bad. Neji did have faith in Naruto, so he decided he would give Sasuke a chance. Besides, Sasuke would eventually marry Hinata, which would result in him being a part of the family, which meant Neji would have to deal with him on a regular basis.

_Might as well get used to him now._ Neji thought as he walked to where his assignment would be held.

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"Hey, Sasuke! Wake up!"

Sasuke rubbed his eyes, and replied, "Shut up, dobe. I'm awake."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, right. You're falling asleep at the table. "

Sasuke felt like rolling his eyes, but was too tired. Naruto was beginning to worry about his friend. Both boys were sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast. Well, at least Naruto was. Sasuke was leaning on the table, falling asleep. Naruto's eyes were drawn to the black metal bands on the other boy's wrists. Sasuke had been wearing them for the past few days. He had explained to the blond that he was required to wear them, but provided no explanation as to why. Naruto had a feeling that Sasuke himself didn't know the real reason.

Naruto glanced at the clock. "Sasuke, you need to get going. You'll be late for today's assignment."

Sasuke rose slowly from the table and walked to the door, "Fine. Let's go."

Naruto followed Sasuke, afraid that the raven-haired boy would fall over from exhaustion.

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Naruto grinned, but was still nervous when he saw Neji's stern expression. The Hyuuga nodded in greeting to Naruto, but addressed Sasuke sharply," Uchiha, you're late."

"Hn." was Sasuke's reply, as he looked around. The trio was currently in front of a small house about a mile away from the village, near the main road leading toward the forest. The house was designed plainly, colored beige with a dark roof. The only decoration was an old wheelbarrow, coated with dirt. Despite the nearby forest, the garden in the yard was dead and overgrown with grass and various weeds. The soil around the plants was dry and cracked. It looked unsuitable for any plant, except maybe a cactus.

Neji spoke,"You have been assigned to clear out the weeds, and replant new flowers."

"Really? I never would have guessed," Sasuke remarked dryly.

Naruto looked confused, "Okay, but where is he supposed to get the flowers from? "

Hearing this, Sasuke smiled bitterly, "Let me guess. I need to take that wheelbarrow and go to the Yamanaka Flower Shop, fill it up, come back here and plant the flowers, and repeat as necessary, right?"

Neji nodded and added, "You also need to cart away the weeds."

"Of course." Sasuke answered._ Last time I checked, I was still a __shinobi. Why do I keep getting gardening assignments?_ The raven-haired boy thought, getting very annoyed with this whole community service thing._ This is ridiculous! I'm being treated like a common criminal! Oh wait, I am a criminal. Damn._

"Naruto, you'd better get going." Sasuke said, walking toward the dead garden. Naruto said nothing. He was just watching the other boy carefully.

Neji noticed the scrutiny, "Is there something wrong, Naruto?"

"No, not really." he replied, then looked at Neji and asked," Can you see someone's chakra flow with your Byakugan?"

A confused look greeted his question. "Yes, but why are you asking?"

Naruto beckoned Neji to follow him. They walked a few feet away, until they were out of Sasuke's range of hearing. Speaking quietly, Naruto made a request, "Can you check Sasuke's chakra flow? Lately, he's been really tired and I'm beginning to think he's over working himself."

Neji glanced at Sasuke, who was ripping the weeds out of the dry earth and tossing them in a slowly growing pile behind him. "He seems fine. Why do you think something is wrong with his chakra?"

"When my chakra is low, I feel tired. Isn't that the same with you?"

"Yes. All right, I'll do it, but after this, you do need to get going. I was given orders not to waste any time and ensure that Sasuke completes all of his assigned tasks."

Neji focused his chakra and closed his eyes. "Byakugan." he called, opening them, revealing the kekkai genkai of the Hyuuga clan. He turned his gaze back to the Uchiha, and began to frown. "Hmm...It appears your theory is correct, Naruto. His chakra is very low. Much lower than it should be. If I had to guess, I'd say that something was sapping his chakra, but I cannot discern what it could be. Do you know what it is?"

"No." Naruto lied. Truthfully, he suspected that the sudden fatigue was caused by those metal bands on Sasuke's wrists, but he didn't think telling anybody else would be a good idea. His reason was simple; he might be wrong about the bands. Sure, they did have weird-looking symbols carved on them, but they could just be decorative. He needed to ask someone with extensive knowledge on ninja tools.

"Thanks for your help, Neji." the blond said.

The jounin nodded, deactivating his Byakugan, "You are welcome."

Naruto began walking in the direction of the village, but stopped after a few steps. He turned around and asked Neji, "Do you know where Tenten is?"

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Various ninja tools littered the grass of the training field. They were mostly kunai and shuriken, and their blades gleamed in the sun. A girl with brown hair in twin buns, one on either side of her head, began gathering them together. She paused when she heard footsteps approaching. Taking a few kunai in her left hand, she stood ready to use them if necessary.

"Hey Tenten!" A voice called, sounding cheerful.

The girl smiled, and relaxed. She knew that voice. "Hi Naruto! It's been a while since I've seen you." Tenten said, watching as a boy with spikey blond hair entered her line of sight.

Naruto returned her smile and said,''Yeah, I was going to say the same thing!" Then he remembered his purpose for the visit, "You're a master of ninja tools, right?"

Tenten laughed," Well, I wouldn't call _myself_ a master, but yeah, I do know a lot about them. Did you want some information on one?"

An eager nod answered the question, "Yeah! Have you ever seen a black wrist band made out of metal, with weird things on it?"

"Weird things?" she asked, looking a bit puzzled.

"They look like squiggly lines, and when it's worn, it causes the wearer to get tired really easily." Naruto said, hoping that cleared up some confusion.

Tenten was quiet, twirling a kunai with her right hand, thinking about the boy's peculiar description. Finally, realization was visible on her face.

"You must be talking about a chakra restriction band." Before he could say anything, the girl continued, providing a detailed description. "There are three types of chakra restriction bands. Level one is white, made out of paper. It causes the wearer to become sluggish and slow down. It can be removed by being cut away. Level two is silver-painted wood. It causes the wearer to lose chakra, even after the most simple of tasks. It needs to be burned off. Level three is the most dangerous one. It is black, made out of a metal, typically steel. It causes the wearer to lose both chakra and energy as long as it is worn. If it is worn for several days, the wearer will eventually die. Unfortunately, it cannot be removed. At least, I don't know how it could be removed."

Naruto looked shocked," How do they work?"

"Simple. All three levels use a seal. The seal is written or etched on to the surface of the band. The strength of the seal depends on what purpose the bands are needed for. The white is the weakest seal and the black contains the strongest seal. White is usually used to calm someone down, or sedate them. Silver is used on prisoners, to keep them from causing trouble. Black is used as a last resort. It is put on only for the intention of killing someone. The black seal acts like a leech, draining the energy of the wearer until they eventually succumb to extreme fatigue, and their body fails."

"Can the seals be broken?"

"Yes, definitely the silver and white." Tenten paused, thinking about it." Maybe the black. I suspect if you have a source of chakra that is stronger than the seal, it will cause the band to break and the effects will stop. However, I don't think a normal person is capable of producing a chakra that is so strong."

Naruto said nothing. The blond was in a state of disbelief. Someone was trying to actually _kill_ Sasuke! Who was it, and why? He didn't know, but there was one thing he knew, without a doubt.

_I won't let anybody take him away from me. _Naruto thought; resolve evident in his blue eyes. _I will break that seal._

With a smile on his face, he addressed Tenten, "Thank you for the info, Tenten! You're the best! I definitely owe you one!"

The kunoichi looked surprised and felt more than a little confused. In addition to describing a rather vile item, she had just seen Naruto's facial expression shift from being normal and cheerful, to shocked and a little scared, then disbelief, and finally, a determination that suited the blond. "Sure. Anytime. "She hesitated before asking him a question, "Naruto, what made you ask me about the bands? Have you encountered one somewhere?"

Naruto lied, "No. I just saw one in an old scroll I was reading. There was no name listed and only a vague description provided, so, I decided I could ask an expert."

Tenten's brown eyes narrowed. She didn't really believe Naruto's explanation, but had no real reason not to. "OK, but if you do happen to encounter one of them, can you bring me it, even if it's broken? I'd like to see one up close. Very few have been made, due to their effects. Especially the black one. I've heard they are made only by skilled shinobi who know older, more dangerous sealing techniques."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, if I ever find one, you'll be the first person I'll tell."

"Great." she replied, expertly tossing shuriken at nearby targets. Not surprisingly, all of the projectiles hit their mark. Naruto was impressed, and would have liked to stick around to train with the girl, but he had other matters to attend to. He needed a way to help Sasuke. That was the most important thing. After saying bye, Naruto left the training field, reflecting on all he learned.

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Sasuke panted. He was beginning to feel light-headed. He was sitting in the dirt, surrounded by plants. He wasn't sure how long he had been working. He glanced up at the sky, at the sun's position. He guessed it had been at least four hours. Sasuke looked around him, at what he accomplished and what still needed to be completed.

In front of the house, there was now a more respectable little garden. Gone were the dead plants and weeds that infested the patch of soil. Instead, healthy little plants with multi-colored blooms added a pop of color to the plain house. The weeds were piled together, some distance away, still waiting to be disposed of. He was nearly finished. Or so he thought.

Sasuke slowly stood up, and staggered over to the house. For some reason, he felt like checking out the backyard. He pushed the wooden gate open, and his eyes widened with disbelief. It was a mess. There was trash everywhere, mixed with plants covered in barbs. Even the leaves of the plants looked sharp.

"You also need to fix this area too." said a voice behind him. Sasuke didn't turn around to see the look on Neji's face. Even the Hyuuga sounded shocked, and there was even a hint of sympathy in his voice. "Damn. Sasuke, you really do have your work cut out for you."

"Hn." was the only reply the Uchiha could do. He was too tired to say anything else. Sasuke walked forward, and knelt in the plants, leaves sticking to his clothes. He began to doggedly rip at them, cutting the palm of his right hand. He watched as the blood trickled slowly down, until it fell onto the ground beneath him. Dizzy, he sat there a few more moments staring at his bleeding hand. He might've continued to stare, but his vision blurred. He fell forward, and then everything went black.

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''What the hell's going on?" Naruto yelled, bursting onto the hospital room. He startled Sakura, who had been sitting by Sasuke's bedside. "Naruto, calm down. Everything is going to be fine, I think. He just passed out, but all of his vitals are stable."

"Why did he pass out?"

"His chakra has been reduced to next to nothing. It was exhaustion," Sakura reported, her green eyes filled with worry as she looked at the unconscious Uchiha. She got up to check the IV connected to Sasuke's wrist, right below the chakra restriction band. "Has he been eating properly?"

Naruto took Sakura's now-vacant seat. "Of course." he answered, not looking at the girl. His intent gaze was fixed on Sasuke. The other boy's face had scratches. Sakura noticed Naruto's stare and asked, "Do you know how his face got cut?"

Naruto explained, "Neji told me that Sasuke had been pulling weeds, and then all of a sudden, he paused, and then fell forward into the plants. Most of the plants had thorns and other sharp parts."

Sakura nodded, writing that down. "That makes sense," the pink-haired girl put down her clipboard. "Naruto, how has Sasuke-kun been behaving? Does he ever complain about the amount of community service he gets?"

"No. He doesn't like it, but he never complains. I guess he just wants the village to forgive him." Naruto replied. Needless to say, the boy was still unaware of Sasuke's contractual obligation.

Sakura glanced at the round wall clock briefly before she made a request, "Naruto, I need you to keep watch over Sasuke-kun and tell me if he wakes up. Do you mind staying by his side? Please do this for me. I need to tend to other patients."

"Sure, Sakura-chan. I'll stay as long as it takes!" he promised, smiling at the girl.

Sakura returned his smile, "I'm so glad I can always count on you." she replied, walking towards the exit, and leaving the room.

After she left, Naruto was silent. He was getting more and more worried about Sasuke, and now there was no doubt that those chakra bands needed to come off. In addition, today had proven that Sasuke was getting too much work. Naruto knew he needed to help Sasuke, but he couldn't be obvious about it.

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True to his word, Naruto remained at Sasuke's bedside until he woke up the following day. After a quick check-up from Sakura, Sasuke was ready to leave the hospital.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked again, wanting to make sure he was fine.

"For the last time, yes, I'm fine." Sasuke replied, irritated. Naruto frowned at him. Sighing, Sasuke tried to smile a little at Sakura and replied in a kinder voice, "Yes, Sakura, I'll be fine. Thank you for all your concern. I appreciate it."

Sakura smiled brightly,"You don't need to thank me. I'm just glad you're doing well." She turned to Naruto."Okay, Naruto, I want you to keep an eye on Sasuke. Make sure he gets plenty of rest today and he shouldn't be getting all worked up, so don't pick fights with him."

"Sure, whatever you say, Sakura-chan." Then he leaned toward her and whispered, "But just so you know, Sasuke is the one that starts all the fights."

The girl laughed.

"I heard that, dobe." Sasuke said, glaring at the other boy.

Naruto was unfazed, and his grin was intact. "Come on, Sasuke! Don't be such a bastard. You just woke up."

"I know, but I still need to finish yesterday's assignment. So, if you'll excuse me, I need to get going." Sasuke replied, getting up and walking past Naruto and Sakura, and leaving the hospital.

"He seems back to normal." Sakura observed, sounding pleased.

"Sure does." Naruto agreed. Then he added," Don't worry about him, Sakura-chan. I'll help Sasuke as much as I possibly can. Believe it!"

"I know, Naruto, and I do believe it."

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Fifteen minutes later, Sasuke was sitting on the couch in Naruto's apartment, confused. He had went back to the house near the forest, and to his surprise, the yard looked great. He even checked the backyard, where he had fainted. It was immaculate. All the odd plants were replaced with healthy flowers. All the trash was gone. There wasn't a trace of the mess that existed twenty-four hours ago. Sasuke didn't know who could have done this, but he definitely wasn't complaining. With nothing else to do, Sasuke had returned to the apartment.

Sasuke listened as Naruto opened the front door. "I'm home!" Naruto called loudly, closing the front door behind him.

"I can see that." the Uchiha replied with a yawn.

"Are you getting tired, Sasuke?"

"No."

Naruto folded his arms and fixed the other boy with a knowing look, "That's a bunch of crap and you know it. If you're tired, you should rest. You heard what Sakura-chan said."

"I did hear her, but I don't feel like going to sleep." said Sasuke.

Naruto took a moment to think before replying, "All right, then. How does this sound to you? We'll trade places. I'll let you sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep on the couch, like you normally would. That way, you can sleep better and maybe you won't be so tired and cranky."

Sasuke was losing his patience. "Cranky? I am not cranky. I'm just sick of dealing with an idiot like you all day."

"Right. Anyway, I still think you should -"

Sasuke interrupted him, "If you tell me to go to sleep one more time, I swear I'll kick your ass."

Defiance gleamed in Naruto's blue eyes. "I'd like to see you try. Once I knock you out, I'll just put you in bed anyway, so it's not like it really matters."

"You talk tough, but can you actually back it up?" the raven-haired boy asked, getting off the couch and advancing toward Naruto, Sharingan activated.

"Bring it on." Naruto challenged, getting into his fighting stance. Sasuke did the same, ready for battle. They stared at each other, wondering who would make the first move.

Naruto rushed forward, trying to punch his roommate. Sasuke countered the punch. He grabbed Naruto's arm and threw him against the floor. The blond gasped, as the air was knocked out of his lungs upon impact. He lay there for a moment, then sat up and was face-to-face with Sasuke.

The Uchiha was sitting on him, holding a kunai to his throat. "Really, Naruto? Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, crimson eyes looking amused.

"No." There was a POOF! as the shadow clone disappeared. "What the-" Sasuke didn't have time to react. The real Naruto hit him on the back of the neck, knocking Sasuke out. The raven-haired boy slumped forward on the floor. Naruto picked him up and carried him to his bedroom.

He placed the now-sleeping boy in the bed, and put a blanket over him. Naruto pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down. Tentatively, he placed his hand over one of Sasuke's and spoke softly, "You know, it feels like nothing ever changes with us. We call each other names and fight. We even work together and help each other too."

Naruto bit his lip, wondering if he should continue. He decided to, "No matter what happens, I will always be your friend, and I will help you, even if you think you don't need me. Because, the truth is... I think I need you. So, that means I'll be looking out for you, even if you don't know it."

Naruto tightened his grip on Sasuke's hand, and leaned back in his chair. He didn't mind sleeping here, in this chair. As long as he was near Sasuke, it didn't matter.

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When Sasuke woke the following morning, he felt good. He was warm and cozy. For some unknown reason, he felt reassured. Maybe it was because the bed was so comfortable, or maybe it was because Naruto was near him, fingers intertwined with his own...

That last realization brought him back to reality. Naruto was doing _what _to him? Wait, that didn't sound right... He meant Naruto was asleep near him, holding his hand. Yeah, that was better, he guessed. Sasuke wasn't sure how he should feel. Part of him felt like pushing the blond away and demanding an explanation, while another part didn't mind the contact, which was surprising, considering he didn't like unnecessary contact.

Sasuke shook Naruto gently. The blond stirred, and looked at Sasuke, eyes bleary from sleep. Fighting a blush, the Uchiha made a suggestion. "Naruto, since this is your bed, it isn't fair that I just use it. Do you want to share it? There should be enough space for us both.''

''That sounds good." Naruto answered, half-asleep. Sasuke moved over, and the blond crawled into bed next to him. Sasuke noticed Naruto still held on to his hand, but oddly enough, he didn't care. Instead he glanced at the bedside clock. It was only six AM. Sasuke decided he would question Naruto later. Right now, it was too early.

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_**One week later...**_

Sasuke didn't understand what was going on. Everything was getting very strange. For starters, he had slept in the same bed as Naruto for the past week. Every time, he woke up, he felt good. Secondly, those stupid bands he was forced to wear weren't bothering him at all. When he looked carefully at them, the markings had been changed. Before, they resembled a seal. Now they were cracked. Even the metal was showing signs of being weakened. This development was closely linked to the third strange thing. He wasn't feeling tired anymore. Sasuke had suspected the bands had something to do with his unexplained fatigue, and now, he was convinced of it. It made sense, now that he thought about. Why else would he suddenly be required to wear them? It didn't matter anymore, though. The bands and their awful effects were just about over. He just wanted to know how it happened.

The last, and definitely strangest thing was the amount of work he was assigned. It was significantly less. Every time he showed up for whatever job he was assigned for, it was either half-way done, or finished entirely. That cut his work load dramatically, and he had more free time. He was going to use today's free time to figure out what was going on.

After a walk around Konoha, Sasuke found Kakashi at the Memorial Stone. He had been specifically looking for his former sensei, and knew where to go to find him. "Kakashi, what's going on?"

Kakashi shifted his gaze from the stone to Sasuke, "Not even a hello for your former team leader?'' he asked the boy.

"Don't play dumb, Kakashi. Why have you been doing my assignments for me?"

Kakashi looked confused. "I'm not playing around, Sasuke. I genuinely don't know what you're talking about."

"How else would anybody else know what I needed to do, except a jounin? All of my supervisors have been jounin, or the occasional ANBU."

"Sorry, but I haven't interfered. You know, I've heard that there were some papers moved around in the Hokage's office. Maybe that was done by your mystery helper." Kakashi replied calmly, walking away.

The man stopped after a few steps. "Think about it. Who else do you know who would be reckless enough to help you, even if that means getting in trouble too?" With that last question, Kakashi disappeared.

Sasuke thought about Kakashi's question. Only one person came to mind.

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_**Later that night...**_

Naruto was fast asleep when Sasuke entered his room. The blond had gone to sleep an hour earlier, complaining about a mission he accomplished during the day and how tiring it had been. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had been secretly doing his community service during that time.

He walked quietly towards the bed and looked at Naruto's sleeping face. All day, he had felt like asking for the truth, but in the end, he didn't. Truthfully, Sasuke was just grateful for Naruto, whether or not he was helping him with the assignments; however, it did feel that Naruto was always trying to help him, no matter what.

The Uchiha leaned over the blond's face, and brushed Naruto's hair out of his eyes. Then, without thinking about it, he leaned in closer. He touched the whisker marks on the other boys face and said, "Naruto... Thank you."

Sasuke closed the gap between them and kissed Naruto. It was a chaste kiss on the lips that lasted three seconds, but caused Sasuke's heart to race, and he felt his face get warm. If he would have had a mirror, he would have seen the rare blush that colored his normally pale skin.

Sasuke pulled away from Naruto, and walked to back to living room. He felt like sleeping on the couch tonight. He wasn't entirely sure why he had just done what he did. He had acted on an impulse. An impulse to kiss his best friend.

_I kissed him. I can't believe it. _Sasuke thought before he fell asleep. _Now what?_


	8. Chapter 7: His Devotion

Author's note: Hi everyone! Wow! The last chapter received the most reviews yet! I am so happy that people are enjoying this story. To my reviewers: You are all so incredibly awesome, I must ask if you were born that awesome, or did you take a class and get lessons in the art of being awesome? Thanks for your nice reviews! They are so encouraging! As a reward for all of my amazing readers, I decided to make this chapter longer than usual. As always, please let me know what you think about this new chapter. I enjoyed writing it, and I want to know if you enjoyed it too! Alright, that's enough of my prattling. Let's rock!

Disclaimer: I will own Naruto when pigs fly through Hell, which will have frozen over.

Chapter 7: His Devotion

At midnight in the village of Konoha, nearly everyone was asleep. Despite the late hour, there were a few shinobi walking about. Most were headed home from a mission, while a few were on patrol, ensuring no strange characters were lurking about.

Under the cloak of darkness, there was one shinobi who was neither on patrol nor going home. He moved stealthily, looking at a sheet of paper that he carried with directions and instructions with what he needed to accomplish. Under the moonlight, he swiftly reached his destination. Once again, he looked around to make sure nobody had followed him. The shinobi's caution was unnecessary. Nobody was aware of his presence. He was more skilled in the art of stealth than most people expected of him and he was glad about that. It would make things easier.

Picking up the nearby tools, he set to work on a task that was supposed to be accomplished by another.

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"Ow. Damn it." Naruto swore, as his foot painfully collided with the table in the living room. He hopped around, hoping he would land on the couch in front of the table. Since he didn't turn on the light, he wasn't aware of the sleeping person on the couch. Naruto fell back and landed on something lumpy. The something moved and asked in a very irritated way, "What the hell are you doing, dobe?"

Oops. He was sitting on Sasuke.

Thinking quickly, Naruto said, "I was looking for you."

Even though he couldn't see due to the darkness of the room, the blond was sure Sasuke had rolled his eyes. "Idiot! Where else would I possibly be? Get off!" Then he pushed Naruto off of him.

_Wow. He sure is cranky when you wake him up._ Naruto thought, as he got up from the floor. "Sheesh. Aren't you a cranky bastard tonight?" he said, brushing himself off.

Sasuke sat up, and glared. "Naruto, why do you insist on bugging me? What are you doing stumbling around at this time of night?"

Naruto couldn't tell Sasuke about the night's previous activities, so he lied. "Nothing. I just went for a walk."

Sasuke looked doubtful. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Yeah, because that's what I did." He knew it was a bad excuse, but he was tired and couldn't think of anything else to say.

Sasuke was quiet. He didn't believe Naruto, but right now, he didn't care. The raven-haired boy got up,and took his pillow and blanket with him. He walked past Naruto, and headed toward the bedroom. He returned a moment later. "Aren't you coming?"

Naruto blinked, "Huh?"

Sasuke scowled in the darkness of the apartment. "You really are a moron. Are you going back to bed?"

"Uh... Yeah." Naruto walked slowly and carefully towards Sasuke's voice. He couldn't see much of anything and he silently wondered why he didn't turn on a light. Sasuke, who had enough of Naruto goofing around, walked forward and grabbed one of Naruto's hands. "Come on. I don't feel like waiting around." He said, turning away quickly and leading the blond to the bedroom. If the room had been better lit, Naruto would have noticed the blush forming on the other boy's face. Sasuke had just remembered that earlier this night, he had kissed Naruto and now he was leading him to his bedroom.

_I guess I'm not as mature as I imagined I was_. Sasuke thought, trying to think about anything else. It was not working. In his mind, he replayed the kiss.

After entering the room, Naruto let go of his hand, and dove into bed, and crawled under the covers. Sasuke stood there. "Well, didn't you want to go to sleep?" Naruto asked, voice muffled from the blankets. Sasuke didn't reply, but walked to the bed, and after a moment's hesitation, got under the blankets. He positioned himself so his back was facing Naruto and was as far away as he could possibly be. Naruto didn't comment on this. All he said was, "Good night, Sasuke."

"Hn." was the only reply he received.

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Even though Sasuke had positioned himself deliberately so he didn't come into contact with Naruto, somehow Naruto ended up with Sasuke's arms around him. The blond was snoring and didn't notice. Sasuke had moved in his sleep, so he was also unaware.

If somebody had been awake, they would have noticed the red chakra dancing around the chakra restriction bands on the Uchiha's wrists. The swirling symbols etched on the metal were transforming. If somebody had seen this unusual phenomenon, they would've sworn they were losing their mind.

The once-perfect seals were now breaking. However, instead of looking fractured, they were rearranging themselves to create a new image. That image resembled a fox. Not just any fox. A fox with an evil grin, and nine long tails...

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_**Seals... I hate them all so much.**_ Kyuubi said, sensing his chakra destroy the bands. _**It is so fu**__**l**__**filling to break one.**_

From inside his own seal, Kyuubi whipped his tails in satisfaction. Unfortunately for him, he could not break his seal, but destroying those seals on the chakra restriction bands was child's play. He licked his fangs absently as he realized he had inadvertently helped the Uchiha. That would make Naruto happy, at least. _**Maybe he'll stop being such a pain in my tails now**_. Kyuubi thought, thinking about his host.

This situation regarding Sasuke had affected Naruto, and as a result, Kyuubi too. Kyuubi was not the altruistic type of demon. He wouldn't have cared less had Sasuke died, but now that Naruto was in close contact with Sasuke; his chakra was also being depleted by the metal bands. Plus, he was still using chakra like normal. This caused Naruto to have less chakra, and he needed to use Kyuubi's to make up for it. This had annoyed Kyuubi, so he decided to take this problem into his own claws and fix it. This is exactly what he did.

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Naruto was feeling great. He had his head on Sasuke's chest and was listening to his steady breathing and beating of his heart. It was so comforting and relaxing that the blond couldn't help but wonder how he had ever done without it. Naruto liked it because it meant Sasuke was actually here with him, and everything wasn't a dream. All that time spent training, fighting and everything else he had needed to endure...It was all worth it for a moment like this.

Naruto's bubble of contentment was popped by the harsh call of the alarm clock. He realized that Sasuke might not be too thrilled with their proximity, so, not knowing what else to do, he shoved Sasuke away from him with more force than necessary. The asleep boy crashed to the floor.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The air seemed to change, and Naruto grew nervous as he felt the killing intent radiating off Sasuke, who was still on the floor. "Naruto, you have five seconds to explain yourself."

"You see, uh. Well, I didn't -" stammered Naruto. Sasuke got up, and approached menacingly. He cracked his knuckles and began counting, "One...two...three...four...fi -"

"You were practically on top of me! What else was I supposed to do?" Naruto blurted out, hoping he wasn't about to get hit. He braced himself anyway.

Sasuke stopped mid-punch as the blond words sunk in. "Oh... I see." Sasuke said slowly. Blue eyes widened as they caught sight of the Uchiha's face. He looked embarrassed, and... was he blushing?

Naruto stared openly, transfixed at the sight. His heart felt like it flipped in his chest and his mind was blank. _Wow._ was his only coherent thought. He had never seen the Uchiha look like that before.

Sasuke noticed this gaze, and tried to glare, but was unable to do so. Naruto got off the bed, and stood in front of Sasuke. They stood like that, looking into one another's eyes. Finally, Sasuke leaned forward. His lips were a millimeter away from Naruto's when there was a knock at the door. The knock at the door broke the spell between them.

Naruto blushed brightly, laughed nervously, and said, "Um… Better go get that." Then he darted out of the bedroom and toward the front door of the apartment. Sasuke blinked in surprise, trying to figure out what had just happened. Or, to be more accurate, what had _almost_ just happened.

_Hn. Today feels like it's going to be very interesting. _Sasuke thought with a smirk.

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Kiba and Shino had been at the door. Naruto had a mission with them, and they had come to pick up Naruto. Naruto had been late for several of his recent missions, and Tsunade had ordered that Naruto be picked up directly so he wasn't late anymore. After getting dressed and ready to go, Naruto left with Kiba and Shino, telling Sasuke he would see him later.

Sasuke had merely nodded. He needed to leave for another community service task anyway. In addition, he also needed to meet with Hinata afterwards so they could begin planning their wedding. The wedding was less than three weeks away, and they hadn't even spoken to each other, except for saying hello. That wasn't surprising, considering that Sasuke spent nearly all his time with Naruto.

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"This is weird." The ANBU said, as he surveyed the land around him. Sasuke looked around as well, but with indifference. The ANBU frowned beneath his mask, as his eyes swept over the instructions he held. Today, Sasuke had been assigned to remove a massive tree stump whose roots were cracking the ground and the foundation of a nearby house. However, there was no tree stump, and no evidence to even suggest there was one, except for a gaping hole in the ground. Sasuke asked," Are you sure this is the right place?"

The ANBU nodded. "Yes."

"Did you read the details correctly?"

This annoyed the ANBU. "Of course! Are you implying that I can't read?"

Sasuke smirked, "I didn't say that. You said that."

"You know what? There's nothing for you to do so you can just leave." replied the ANBU, getting frustrated with Sasuke's attitude.

"Fine." With that last word, he left. The ANBU mentally cheered that the Uchiha had left, but stopped when he remembered he was supposed to keep an eye on him. The man sighed. Today was too much for him. Disappearing tree stumps and bratty teenagers; he wasn't trained to deal with those kinds of things.

_I need a vacation._ He thought, glancing at the hole in the earth.

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After finishing their mission, Naruto, Kiba, Akamaru and Shino walked to the training field. The mission had been simple; a package delivery for someone living in a town several miles from Konoha. The contents of the parcel were valuable and they needed to be protected from thieves or bandits. The recipient was wealthy, so he paid to have it delivered by a squad of shinobi. Being in a squad was actually a good idea. During the mission, Naruto and his teammates had been attacked by bandits. The bandits were just petty criminals and were no match for the shinobi, but there might have been a problem if it had been a solo mission.

"That mission was so boring. It feels like I always get assigned the lamest missions possible." Kiba complained. Naruto nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. Sometimes I'm sure Tsunade-baa-chan assigns certain missions just to make us miserable."

Shino didn't speak. He didn't see the point in telling the complainers that as shinobi, they had responsibilities to complete their missions, no matter what they were. He knew his words would just go in one ear and out the other.

"Hey Naruto, want to spar with me and Akamaru?" Kiba asked upon reaching the training field.

Naruto grinned. "Sounds good. Maybe some training will make this day more interesting." Naruto glanced at Shino. "Want to join us?"

Shino shook his head, "You two go on without me. I'm fairly sure that none of you want to fill out the mission report, right?"

"Nah. Tsunade-sama always tells me I fill out the report wrong." Kiba replied.

"That's because you have Akamaru do it." Naruto said with a laugh. He had seen Kiba's mission reports. They were covered in paw prints. Akamaru barked as though to confirm Naruto's statement.

"As if you can do any better!" Kiba retorted. He knew the blond was right, but he still didn't like to be teased about it.

"I can, and I do." Naruto said confidently.

"Oh yeah?" Kiba asked, ready to fight Naruto.

"Yeah!" answered Naruto. The two faced off, and after Kiba attacked first, the match began. Shino watched them for a while, before turning to leave. Despite both of them being so pig-headed, the insect-handler had to admit that both Naruto and Kiba had a lot of spirit. He thought it was commendable...

When it wasn't getting them into trouble, that is.

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"Heh. That was fun." the Inuzuka said, panting. He was lying in the grass, propped up on Akamaru. The large dog barked, sounding happy.

Naruto grinned. "Yeah. Nothing's better than a good training match after a dull mission."

"So, Naruto, how've you been lately? I heard Sasuke's living with you." Kiba said. Once they were finished beating each other up, the two would behave civilly toward one another and have a normal conversation. It had always been like that with Kiba and Naruto. Their friendship was based on it.

"I've been a;l right. You know, the usual. Sasuke's living with me temporarily. I think it's only for a little longer though." Naruto replied, frowning. He knew Sasuke would eventually get his own place, but the thought still bothered him.

"I guess it's just until he gets married, huh?" Kiba said, his own good mood being replaced with sadness. He didn't want to picture Sasuke with Hinata.

Neither did Naruto. The Uzumaki sighed loudly. "Yeah, but what can you do?"

"Nothing. You know, I don't understand why Hinata has to marry him anyway. They are so different." Kiba said, folding his arms across his chest. Naruto said nothing, but Kiba continued, "Hinata is such a great girl. She's kind and considerate. She's compassionate. Nothing like Sasuke. I don't know him that well, but he seems like a jerk."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Well, yeah. Sometimes he is a bastard but other times he can be a good friend."

The brown-haired boy snorted in disbelief. "Whatever you say, Naruto." Kiba felt like he had good reason to dislike Sasuke. After all, the Uchiha was going to marry Hinata, whom Kiba had loved for years. Getting mad, Kiba thoughtlessly continued, "Want to know what I think? I think Hinata is too good for Sasuke!"

Blue eyes shone with anger after hearing that. "Excuse me, Kiba?" Naruto asked, gritting his teeth.

Kiba paid no attention to Naruto's sudden anger. "Yeah. After all, he's a traitor. He left the village, and didn't give a damn about anyone besides himself."

Naruto was livid. "Shut up, Kiba! What do you know about Sasuke? Nothing!"

Hearing this, Kiba got up. "I don't know much about him, but I don't care. That doesn't change the fact that Hinata's still too good for Sasuke!"

"Have you ever considered that Sasuke is too good for Hinata?" Naruto asked, eyes blazing with anger. Startled, Kiba took a step back, and even Akamaru whined, becoming nervous.

"You're so stupid! Why are you wasting your breath defending him?" Kiba yelled, furious.

"I don't need to explain myself to you." Naruto said. He felt like kicking the other boy's ass, but knew he shouldn't. "I'm leaving." The blond started to walk away.

Kiba ran up to Naruto, and tapped him on the shoulder. "One more thing." Kiba said. Before Naruto could say another word, Kiba punched him in the face.

Upon impact, Naruto's vision blurred briefly, and he tasted blood, which he spit out. Before he knew it, Naruto summoned a shadow clone. The clone and he quickly formed a ball of spiraling chakra in his hand.

"Rasengan!" he called, before striking Kiba with it. Kiba tried to block the jutsu, but it was too strong. It sent Kiba flying. There was a sickening crunch as he crashed into a tree. Kiba fell forward, coughing up blood, holding his ribs. The impact had broken several of them.

"What have you done, Naruto?" Shino asked, sounding horrified. He had returned to check on the two, and had seen the whole confrontation. He rushed over to Kiba, and ordered Naruto to call a medic. Doing as he was told, Naruto left, feeling numb.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Tsunade slammed her fist against her desk," What were you thinking, Naruto? You could have killed Kiba!" she said angrily.

"He started it!" Naruto replied, not afraid of the blonde woman.

"Idiotic brat! You can't attack someone like that. What if I went around beating up all the people who started trouble? The village population would shrink dramatically." Tsunade said, "What were you two fighting about? If it was over a girl or something stupid like that, I swear I'll kick your ass, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"It was over Sasuke." Naruto answered, bracing himself for her reaction.

Tsunade sighed in exasperation. It seemed to her that Naruto was always getting in trouble because of Sasuke and she was getting sick and tired of it. "Naruto, you want to be Hokage, right? Well, a good Hokage protects the villagers. They don't fight them for a stupid reason." Tsunade paused, watching the boy carefully. She continued when his eyes met hers." You need to decide what's more important to you. The whole village or Sasuke."

The boy was silent as he thought about it. He had always wanted to be Hokage, ever since he could remember. That was his dream, and what he wanted to accomplish. As for Sasuke, he would do anything for him. The other boy was so important to him, and he meant so much to him that he didn't want to even imagine his life without him.

An emotion Tsunade didn't recognize flashed across Naruto's face, and was reflected in his eyes when he spoke. "Baa-chan. I already know that, and I know how I feel. I love this village..." He paused.

"I'm glad to hear it, Naruto. I -" Tsunade said, but was cut off by Naruto.

"But I am in love with Sasuke." he finished.

Tsunade was stunned. "You're joking..." she said, but knew Naruto had meant every word. "Why, Naruto? Why him after all the hell he has put you through?"

Naruto smiled, "I don't know. I think I've loved him for a long time. I don't care about the past. As long as he's here with me now, I don't care."

"Have you told him?" Tsunade asked softly.

"No. There's no point. He's going to marry Hinata." A single tear fell down Naruto's cheek. He didn't notice." I don't want to interfere with his chance to be happy."

Tsunade's eyes were filled with sadness as she looked at Naruto. "What about you? You need to start finding your own happiness." She hesitated a moment before adding, "A happiness that doesn't include Sasuke."

Naruto smiled, but the tears fell, "If Sasuke is happy, then I will be happy. As long as he's in my life and happy, then I'll be fine. I want him to be happy, even if he loves someone else. He's my best friend."

Tsunade knew that with every word he spoke, Naruto's heart was breaking. Despite his sorrow, he continued to smile.

It all made sense now. This was the reason why Naruto had helped Sasuke and why he was so devoted to the Uchiha after all these years. It explained why he had worked so hard to bring him back to the village. It was because Naruto loved Sasuke. It was an unselfish love. A love that would always remain and would expect nothing in return. A true love.

Naruto laughed softly,"This is the first time I've ever admitted it out loud. I can't believe it took me so long to realize it." He rubbed his eyes, barely realizing he had begun crying. "I love Sasuke... Who would have ever guessed?" He said this last part, not for Tsunade, but for himself. Feeling love for someone else and thinking about it was one thing, but actually saying it aloud... it seemed to serve as a confirmation which erased all doubts. To him, it made his love feel more real.

Tsunade wasn't angry anymore. Instead, she was just sad and even felt a little guilty. She felt guilty because she had approved Sasuke's marriage. If she had known how Naruto felt, would she have still done it? She didn't know for sure, but even if she had known, would it even have made a difference? No matter what, Sasuke would have still been required to be punished in some way or another. Without the marriage, his only other options were either execution, or prison for life. At least with the marriage option, he had a chance to live, and possibly have a happy life. This was what Naruto said he wanted for Sasuke. So, then...

"Do you think it's all for the best?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto looked bewildered. "What is?"

"The marriage."

Another sad smile graced the boy's features. "Yeah. Sasuke once said that he wanted to revive his clan or something like that. I guess that means continuing the Uchiha bloodline by having kids. Hinata is really kind, so she'll be a good mom. He'll be happy because he'll be fulfilling his goals. I think a family would probably make him nicer too. You know, more gentle and not such a bastard... I guess it is all for the best."

"You've really thought about this a lot, haven't you?"

Naruto nodded. "Like I said, I just want him to be happy. If he wants to get married, I won't stop him."

The Fifth Hokage nodded. It seemed that Naruto wasn't aware about the true reason for Sasuke's marriage, but she couldn't tell him. Doing so would violate the contract, and might make things even more difficult than they already were.

"Naruto, regarding this fight with Kiba, I'm going to be lenient. Shino told me what happened and that Kiba attacked you first, and it was with a sneak attack. In light of that, I just want you to apologize to him. I should be punishing you more, but now I see why you were angry. Tomorrow, I'll go to the hospital and heal Kiba, so don't worry about this anymore."

_This wedding is causing nothing but trouble._ Tsunade thought grimly. She hoped there were no more fights because of it.

"Thanks, Baa-chan. Can you do me a favor?"

"That depends. What is it?"

Naruto took a breath, and then said, "Don't tell Sasuke or anybody else what I told you. It doesn't really matter, but I'd prefer if nobody else knew. I don't need any reminders because I going to try and let go of my feelings for him. It'll be hard, but it's the right thing to do."

Naruto glanced at the closed door and said, "That goes for you too, Kakashi-sensei."

The door opened and Kakashi walked in, looking a bit guilty. He looked at Naruto, "How did you know I was there?"

"I'd be a pretty lousy ninja if I couldn't sense the presence of my own sensei." Naruto replied, heading toward the door. Without another word, he left the Hokage's office.

After he left, Tsunade shook her head, "He's always trying to make everyone else happy, but won't even consider making himself happy. That kid is one of a kind."

Kakashi nodded," Yes, Tsunade-sama, he sure is." Looking almost embarrassed, he added," Sorry for eavesdropping. I had always suspected that Naruto had feelings for Sasuke. I couldn't resist the opportunity to listen at the door and know for sure."

Tsunade sighed, "It's fine. Just keep it a secret, and all is forgiven."

"Understood."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Shopping was boring. Shopping for wedding stuff was even more boring. Sasuke had spent the past few hours with Hinata shopping. As a result, he was bored.

Fortunately, Hinata wasn't demanding in her requests. Sasuke had told her to do whatever she wanted with the ceremony. She could pick the flowers, food, dishes, and all other wedding-related things Sasuke didn't think were important. All of those things were important, but Sasuke didn't care. He had other things to think about, like Naruto and... Well, to be honest, that's all he was thinking about. Of course, he wouldn't admit that out loud.

"What do you think of this, Sasuke-san?" Hinata asked, showing him a crystal glass. The glass sparkled under the lights in the brightly lit store.

"Hn." he replied, not sounding even remotely interested. Hinata didn't mind. She knew that Sasuke didn't like this type of activity. Despite that, he had been polite to her all day, and occasionally offered an opinion or suggestion. It made sense that he wasn't saying too much.

She continued to browse the shelves stocked with expensive dishes. Some were more modern in design, while others reflected an older time. All were finely crafted. Choosing would be difficult.

"What would you like to eat at the wedding?" Sasuke asked her. She looked confused. He continued, "If you know what you're going to eat, you could match the dishes to the meal. For example, you wouldn't serve an expensive meal on a tin plate, right?"

Hinata nodded. When he did offer a suggestion, it always helped her decide. "I know. How about a picnic type of meal? The wedding will be held outdoors, so it'll fit together. We won't need the dishes, just lots of bento boxes. They should be made from lacquer ware, so the guests can keep them as a thank you for attending."

Sasuke nodded absently. "Picnic? Sounds fine."

The Hyuuga heiress smiled, "I guess it's been decided. We just need to select cups to serve drinks." Hinata disappeared, and returned carrying a tray with cups of different sizes, shapes, and colors. She continued to look through them. When she found a few she liked, she put them aside. A saleswoman took the others away.

"Hold this, Sasuke-san." Hinata ordered him, passing a clay teacup and a crystal glass. He held them both, one in each hand. He looked at them absently. Idly, he wondered what Naruto was doing. Not realizing it, he also asked aloud.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's more interesting than this." Hinata replied.

Sasuke looked questioningly at her. She smiled slightly, and then offered an explanation. "Naruto-kun always makes things interesting. That's one of the many things I like about him."

Dark eyes narrowed, almost unperceptively. "You like him?"

"Yes. In fact, I would even say that I love him. Now, just as a friend. Before, it was a romantic love."

Sasuke said nothing, but suddenly felt annoyed.

Hinata continued to speak, remembering fondly, "I had a huge crush on him. Once, a few years ago, I even asked him on a date. He said yes, but I think he thought it was just between friends. I tried to kiss him goodnight, but he just looked surprised. I told him how I felt, but..."

"He rejected you?" the raven-haired boy inquired, hoping he was right.

Hinata nodded. "Yes, but he was so kind. He said that I would eventually find somebody who would love me forever, and I would be happy, but he wasn't that person. Now that I think about it, he was absolutely right." The girl smiled, thinking of Kiba. After that date with Naruto, the Inuzuka had comforted her, and confessed that he liked her. After that, they went on a date, and been together ever since.

Sasuke knew that she wasn't talking about him, but he didn't care. He had guessed that Hinata had a boyfriend. Just because they were supposed to be married in a few weeks didn't mean that she wasn't entitled to having a romantic relationship with someone else. Sasuke didn't love her, so he didn't mind... or care.

Glancing at the Uchiha, Hinata mused, "Naruto-kun...There's something special about him. He always seems to be so happy. It's always pleasant to be around him. I think I might know why."

Sasuke was interested to know, but didn't show it. He hoped she would continue, and thankfully, she did.

"My mother once told me that if you have love in your heart, people will be drawn to you. This love also makes the person and others happy. At first, I wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but now I know. I think Naruto-kun is devoted to someone and has been for years. That's why he could never look at me the way I looked at him. He is already in love with someone. That's what makes him so pleasant." She looked at Sasuke with a knowing look, and then added, "I can only hope this person is aware of his devotion."

"Well, either that, or he's naturally just a great guy." she said when the boy didn't respond.

The Uchiha was quiet because he was wondering who it could be. Who is someone Naruto had known for years? Someone he liked. He spent a few more moments thinking when an image of a girl with pink hair and green eyes popped into his mind.

Sakura Haruno. Was it her?

Sasuke's grip tightened on the two cups he held, but wasn't aware. He was consumed with a sudden fury.

_Who else could it be?_ His mind screamed. Sakura. He didn't want to see Naruto in love with anybody, especially her. Besides, what the hell was so great about her? She was just a little bitch who was clingy, superficial, and worst of all, STUPID!

In his sudden fit of rage, Sasuke continued to squeeze the glasses. There was a popping sound as he crushed them both. He didn't feel it as the glass and clay stabbed into his palm and fingers. He was just so damn pissed. Nothing mattered.

Hinata looked on, a terrified expression on her face. Sasuke was beyond furious, and both of his hands were getting slashed. Blood leaked from his clenched fists, mixed with pieces of material from the cups. She immediately regretted having him hold them.

"Sasuke-san!" she called, lightly shaking him.

Sasuke met her eyes. The onyx orbs showed anger, then coldness. Wary, she took a step back. The boy said nothing to her. He finally released his grip. Bloodied, broken pieces of the dishes fell to the tile floor with a soft _clink._

A saleswoman rushed over, "Sir, I'm so sorry! Let me help you!" she said, holding a towel. She tried to grab his hand, but he avoided the contact.

"No. I'm fine. I'll take care of it myself." he responded, voice cold, but polite.

The woman tentatively handed him the towel. He ripped in half, and proceeded to bind his bleeding hands.

The employee looked at Hinata. "You should take him to the hospital." The woman suggested.

"R-right. We'll be going. I'm so sorry about this." Hinata said, bowing slightly. She tugged on Sasuke's shirt, and left the store.

Outside, Hinata asked, "Are you okay, Sasuke-san?"

"Yes. Thanks for your concern. We'll continue this tomorrow." he replied, tone icy.

With that, he left.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Naruto was at the apartment, eating ramen. He had also brought some for Sasuke, and he was patiently waiting for the Uchiha to come home.

He listened as the other boy unlocked the door. He frowned when Sasuke kicked it open, and slammed it shut behind him. _Sounds like trouble._ Naruto thought, getting up from the table to greet the Uchiha.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Sasuke interrupted him. "Shut up. I don't want to hear any of your nonsense right now." With that, Sasuke plopped himself down on the couch.

"Why are you so mad?" Naruto asked, sitting near him.

"I'm not. What did I just tell you?"

Naruto wasn't discouraged by Sasuke's foul mood, "Anyway, I got food if you're hungry."

"Hn."

Blue eyes scanned the other boy, noting his scowl. His eyes lingered on the other's hands, which were crudely wrapped up with a towel. Crimson stains were easily visible on the cotton.

"You need to get that looked at. Maybe we should go see Sakura-chan." Naruto suggested, wondering what happened.

Onyx eyes narrowed in distaste. "You can go see your precious _Sakura-chan, _but I'm not going. I can handle this without her assistance."

"Come on. You need to bandage it properly. Sakura-chan can -"

"No. If you want to see her so bad, why don't you just leave?"

Getting up, Naruto walked out of the room. After a few minutes, he returned with a small box. It was a medical kit. "Since you insist on being such a stubborn ass today, I'll do it."

Sasuke shook his head.

Naruto sat close to him and began pulling at his sleeves. "It's either me or Sakura-chan. Pick one."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke relented, removing the towel. He tossed the dirty towel on the floor. The blond sat closer and examined the wounds. "What the hell did you do?" he asked, marveling at the slices in Sasuke's hands.

"I was holding a glass in each hand. I crushed both."

"Why?" Naruto wiped away blood, and a few pieces of crystal. He held the boy's hand carefully as he worked.

Sasuke didn't reply. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell Naruto he got mad because he thought Naruto was in love with Sakura, even though that's exactly what happened. In a fit of jealousy induced anger, he had broken the glasses. Why was he jealous? Simple. He liked Naruto, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Catching Naruto off-guard, he asked, "Why did you bring me back to Konoha? Was it for Sakura?"

The blond stopped cleaning the wounds. He looked at Sasuke. "Why are you asking?"

"Well?" Sasuke prompted, becoming irritated.

Smiling slightly, Naruto spoke. He couldn't tell the entire truth, but perhaps a fraction would be sufficient. "Originally, yes. I wanted to make Sakura-chan happy, but I needed to decide if it was worth all the risk. I decided that it was, because _I_ wanted you back. In the end, the decision was mine, and I did it for me. That's all you need to know."

More silence followed. Sasuke wanted to ask _exactly_ why Naruto wanted him back, but the words didn't come out. Instead, he was just kind of... _happy_ that he did want him back. Not that he would ever admit it. He just watched Naruto as he continued to work diligently.

Naruto resumed disinfecting the wounds. When he was finished, he began wrapping Sasuke's hands gently with gauze bandages. Afterwards, he continued to hold the other's hands. "Did that answer your question?"

"Yes. What happened to your face?" Sasuke asked, noticing the swelling on Naruto's face. His left cheek was bruised and swelling slightly. His lower lip had a cut as well.

Naruto shrugged, "I got into a fight with Kiba. It's no big deal. It doesn't hurt."

Sasuke touched Naruto's face. The blond winced.

"Liar. It does hurt." Sasuke observed.

Before Naruto could say anything else, Sasuke leaned forward. He kissed the bruised area on Naruto's face. Then, lightly kissed him on the lips, right over the cut.

"Does that feel any better?" Sasuke said softly, looking into Naruto's eyes.

Naruto's blue eyes widened and his face was adorned with a delicate blush. "Yeah, it does."

Hearing this, Sasuke smirked.

"You are so weird. Did you fall and hit your head on something?" the blond asked, completely taken by surprise. He had to admit it was a pleasant surprise.

Sasuke's mood brightened visibly, "No, I didn't fall. I just wanted to see if a kiss makes injuries any better. I didn't think it would actually work, though. By the way, if I'm weird, it's because of your weirdness. I think it's contagious."

Naruto snorted, "Yeah. You're just jealous that I'm better than you."

"At what? Being a weirdo?"

A laugh escaped the blond, "Fine. We'll call it even. We're both bizarre."

"Hn... I guess we'll just have to be bizarre together." Sasuke said, getting up from the couch. He walked to the kitchen to get some food. Naruto followed soon after, happy beyond belief.

"Bizarre together, huh? That sounds good." Naruto said. As long as he was with Sasuke, anything sounded good.


	9. Chapter 8: Past and Future

Author's Note: Hey, what's up everyone? I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. I had to deal with some family drama, a busy schedule, and even some trouble with a guy I like. In all honesty, the details aren't worth talking about, but they are headache-inducing. Anyway, lots of hugs and thank you's to all my readers. This story has received a combined total of 113 faves and story alerts, and it's even part of the Elite Ninja Ink community. That's so awesome! I squealed with joy when I found that out! I'm beyond thrilled and must thank you some more. So...Thank you! To my reviewers: As always, you have my eternal gratitude for sharing your opinions on this story, and you have my word that I will do my absolute best when I write it. Okay...I'll let you read the latest installment now. Please review and let me what you think! Ready… Set...Go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto... Constantly repeating that is kind of depressing.

Chapter 8: Glimpses of the Definite Past and Possible Future

Kiba shifted uncomfortably in his bed at Konoha hospital. His ribs were still broken and any movement pained him. Sakura had told him that Tsunade was on her way to talk to him regarding that fight with Naruto that had occurred yesterday. In all honesty, he didn't want her to come. Kiba was fully aware that she would lecture him, and worst of all, tell his mother. Although Tsume Inuzuka loved her family, she only expected the best from them. When he or his sister Hana disappointed her, she was quick to anger. News of a fight would certainly put her in a bad mood.

While images of his mother's fury filled his thoughts, he didn't notice the door open. The newcomer walked quietly, as though they weren't sure if they were welcome. The person moved closer to Kiba, who was still lost in his thoughts. A kiss on his cheek brought him back to reality.

"Hinata! What are you doing here?" the boy asked, a big smile on his face.

Hinata smiled," Shino told me what happened yesterday. I wanted to see if you were okay."

When he saw Hinata, Kiba was no longer aware of his pain. He was just glad to see her. To him, she looked especially beautiful today. It seemed almost as if she were glowing. _Glowing? Maybe I also_ _whacked my head into that tree._ Kiba thought, realizing that his observation sounded peculiar, even to him.

"I'm fine... Now." Kiba replied grinning. Hinata laughed softly. She opened her arms and hugged her boyfriend gently. She didn't want to hurt him by accident. She tried to pull away, but Kiba stopped her. Their eyes met, and she leaned forward to kiss him. When their lips met, the door opened.

Tsunade walked into the room, and raised an eyebrow at the teens. Hinata immediately pulled away from the boy, her face as red as a tomato. She mumbled a quick bye, bowed to Tsunade, then left the room as fast as her feet would carry her. The Inuzuka looked disappointed as she left. The Fifth Hokage noticed this. _Well, now that was interesting._ Tsunade thought.

"Kiba, what happened yesterday?" Tsunade asked, getting right to the point. Kiba was quiet. He really didn't feel like talking right now.

"Kiba, don't be disrespectful. Answer your Hokage!" Another woman's voice ordered.

Kiba's head shot up. "Mom?" he questioned. Sure enough, standing there was none other than Tsume Inuzuka,\ and she didn't look happy.

Eyes widening, he spoke hurriedly, "I was sparring with Naruto, and then we got into a fight, but it was for real, and not just a training match."

Tsunade nodded. "I know that. What triggered the fight?"

Kiba cast a worried look in his mother's direction. She had a scowl fixed on her face. Her eyes were focused on him. "Well?" Tsume prompted, folding her arms.

Kiba looked at Tsunade, a message in his eyes. _Send my mom out,_ his eyes pleaded. Tsunade wanted the truth, but it was obviously something that would get him into trouble. "Tsume, may I have a word with your son in private?" the Hokage asked, looking at Tsume.

"Of course, Hokage-sama.'' the other woman replied, leaving the room. Tsunade closed the door behind her.

"Start talking. I want full specifics."

Kiba groaned, but tried to sit up anyway. "Okay. I said something that made Naruto mad. I didn't realize at first, but then he started to yell. I guess I did too. He said something back to me then walked off. I ran up to him, tapped him on the shoulder, and then punched him in the face. He attacked me too." Kiba gestured to his chest and the bandages wrapped around him.

"What exactly did you say?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

Gritting his teeth, Kiba said." I said that Sasuke was a traitor and that he didn't deserve to marry someone as great as Hinata. Naruto got pissed off and said that _Sasuke_ was too good for Hinata. Can you believe that crap?"

Tsunade sat at the foot of the bed. "Yes. Naruto would defend his friends no matter what."

"Yeah, yeah... Loyalty's great and all, but there is a point where he's loyal to a fault. Someone like Sasuke doesn't deserve that type of friendship." Kiba replied, getting mad. After a moment, he continued, "Hinata is way too good for Sasuke. Naruto is just too much of a moron to see that."

Tsunade smiled faintly. Naruto was in love with Sasuke and Kiba was in love with Hinata. Yet, Sasuke and Hinata were getting married. No wonder why they had fought. "Kiba. As a shinobi, you need to better control your feelings. Naruto will be here shortly and he will apologize to you, but I also want you to apologize to him. You two are friends and you were both defending those who are important to you. Afterwards, I will fix any damage Naruto inflicted on you."

"Fine. What are you going to tell my mom?" Kiba asked, glancing at the door.

"The truth. I'll say there was a misunderstanding, and both of you got carried away. I'm not going to say anything about you and Hinata. Tsume is a proud woman and will be furious if she finds out her son is secretly seeing an engaged girl who will soon marry. She'll probably beat the snot out of you."

Hearing that, Kiba quickly said, "Hinata and I are just friends!" his voice sounded slightly panicked. Originally, Tsume had no problem with Kiba and Hinata's relationship. She had even approved of it, saying Hinata was a polite young lady. After the wedding was announced, her opinion changed. She didn't think Kiba should stay in the relationship. Tsume didn't want her son to get hurt. As far she knew, Kiba and Hinata had split up.

"Don't lie to your Hokage." Tsunade said, amused with the boy's response. She continued, "As long as it isn't causing any more problems, I don't care about your personal life. Just don't pick any more fights. Understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded. She got up, and stood near Kiba. She focused her chakra, and proceeded to heal his broken ribs. A green glow engulfed her hands as she put them on his chest. Kiba gasped sharply, feeling his bones mending. It didn't hurt much, but it did feel strange. It felt like his bones had melted, and then reformed to their proper shape.

There was a knock at the door while Tsunade worked. She didn't look up but said, "Come in!" Naruto came in, anxious. He began to relax as he saw Kiba being healed. Tsume watched her son, pleased that he would soon be fine.

Ten minutes passed by. Tsunade poked Kiba's ribs, feeling for any damage. Needless to say, there was none. She smiled and asked, "Naruto isn't there something you need to say to Kiba?"

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Naruto said. He was genuinely sorry about what happened. He hadn't meant to break any bones.

All eyes on him, Kiba replied, "Yeah. I forgive you. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have hit you first." Kiba had no problem with Naruto, so he didn't mind saying sorry. The only one he _did_ have a problem with was Sasuke, but of course, he wouldn't say that in front of anybody, especially Naruto.

"It's all settled then. Tsume, you can take Kiba home now. Naruto, go do a mission or something else that's productive." Tsunade said, writing down what happened.

Naruto smiled and said," OK. See you later everyone." With that, he left the room.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sakura looked at the front entrance of the hospital. She hoped Naruto hadn't already left. She needed to ask him something important. Fortunately for her, he passed by the reception area where she was currently at. She rushed over to him and cheerfully greeted him," Hi Naruto!"

"Hey! What's up, Sakura-chan? You look excited." Naruto said, noting his friend's approach. Normally, she would just say hello, then continue with whatever she had been doing. Especially if she was working at the hospital, like she was now. She would often mention how busy she was.

Sakura looked nervous, and began to fidget. After a moment, she asked," Naruto, do you want to have a bowl of ramen with me tonight?" A pink tinge was visible on her cheeks.

After much thought, Sakura had decided to ask Naruto out. Sasuke had told her to find someone who had a romantic interest in her. Wasn't that Naruto? When they were younger, Naruto had an obvious crush on her. Throughout the years, he had remained nice to her, no matter what. Didn't that mean he was still interested in her?

There was a pause as Naruto considered it. Sakura held her breath, waiting for his reply.

"Sure!" he answered. Sakura exhaled in relief. Smiling, he continued, "It'll be fun. It will be like old times, when Kakashi would treat you, me and Sasuke to ramen after a successful mission."

Sakura looked confused, "Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. Isn't he coming too?"

"No. I just thought it would be you and me."

Now it was Naruto's turn to look confused. "Why?"

Sakura blinked, surprised. Naruto was as oblivious as ever. He didn't realize that this was supposed to be a date. She laughed nervously, "Well, um... I just didn't think that Sasuke-kun would want to go..." Naruto continued to look at her, not understanding why she would decide that. "But, if he wants to go, then he should! You should ask him." she added hastily.

His smile returned, "Okay, then. I'll see you at seven o'clock." He waved bye and walked away. Sakura watched him, wondering if she had just made a mistake.

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Sasuke knocked at the door to the office of the Konoha elders. Today, he had been asked to meet with them. He didn't want to, but had no choice.

"It's open." someone called. Sasuke pushed the door open and walked in. Both village elders looked at him, eyes widened in shock. Sasuke didn't understand why. He glanced around him, wondering if there was something worth gawking at. "What?" he finally asked when he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. What Sasuke didn't realize is that they were staring at him. He looked normal and to the elders, that was exactly the problem.

Sasuke was still wearing the chakras restriction bands, but he didn't look exhausted, or even remotely fatigued. Instead, he was fine. The only thing that was slightly different was his eyes. Before, they had been cold, not showing the faintest trace of feeling. Now, they were beginning to show something other than indifference. Something had changed with this boy, but neither elder could guess what it was.

Homura was the first to recover from his disbelief. He cleared his throat, and tried to sound professional, "Today, you will be inspecting some empty houses in the village. You need to check if they are safe enough to be renovated. If they are not safe, then they will be destroyed."

"Shouldn't you have a professional building inspector do it?" Sasuke asked, already not liking this task.

Koharu felt like smirking, but didn't. She said, "These aren't just any houses. In fact, they might be of particular interest to you. Especially since you used to own them."

The boy's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He knew exactly what they were talking about," The Uchiha district? Why?"

Koharu smiled, trying to hide her satisfaction of annoying Sasuke," You're getting married soon. You should have a nice place for your wife and future children. As Uchiha, you and your wife will automatically be entitled to live there. Since you're the last of your noble clan, you originally owned all that land, but with your unfortunate _leave_ from the village, it became property of Konoha. Now, we are just returning it to you because you have come back. First, you need to check if they are still in good condition."

The old woman's voice was so full of false sincerity that it was making Sasuke sick. Homura also smiled and nodded, agreeing with Koharu's words. _These people disgust me, _Sasuke thought.

"Fine. Do you have the keys to the houses?" Sasuke said, keeping his tone unaffected by his dislike for the village elders.

"Certainly." Koharu got up from the chair she sat in and opened the door of a nearby file cabinet. She rummaged through the contents, and removed something. She approached the Uchiha, that same fake smile on her lips. "Here you are." she said passing him the keys. There were at least ten different keys, bound together with a scarlet ring.

Sasuke took the keys, and the woman's gaze settled on the chakra restriction bands on his wrists. "My, what curious bands! May I look at them?" she asked Sasuke. Of course, she was only pretending not to know what they were, but she needed to see why they weren't being effective on the Uchiha.

Sasuke offered her his wrists. The black steel shone under the lights. Koharu's fake smile vanished, and was replaced by fear. All the original seals were gone. There was a new image on the bands. The Kyuubi and he was actually _grinning_ at her! She touched the fox's image and pulled away, feeling pain. It had burned her!

Homura came immediately, after seeing her clutch her hand. The old man seized Sasuke's wrists, and looked at the fox's smile. The man looked at Sasuke, "What is this?"

Since Sasuke had been wearing the bands, he couldn't help but notice that they absorbed chakra. Mainly his own, but when he had started sleeping in the same bed as Naruto, they started sapping Naruto's as well, due to their close contact. The Uchiha had correctly guessed that the chakra bands were being destroyed by Kyuubi's chakra that had mixed with Naruto's. In short, the Kyuubi had overpowered any effects the bands may have once had. The fox's image proved his dominance over the seal on the bands. However, Sasuke didn't think this information needed to be shared with the elders.

Sasuke was the picture of innocence as he replied, "I don't know. A few weeks ago, an ANBU supervisor of mine told me to wear them. He said that I needed to. The bands began to change recently, and they turned into that fox. Does it mean something?"

The elders exchanged looks. "No, but maybe you should take them off." Koharu suggested. She had no idea what was going on, and it couldn't be good. Especially, since Kyuubi was involved.

The raven-haired boy nodded. He removed a kunai from his weapon pouch, and gently slid it between his skin and the chakra restriction band. He carefully wiggled the blade around, and the steel began to stretch. When it was widened significantly, he slid off the band. He repeated the process for his other wrist. When he was finished, he put both bands in his pocket. He glanced at a clock on a nearby desk, and said," Well, I'd better get going. It was nice talking to you both. I hope we can do it again sometime." When he spoke, he used the same false cheery tone as Koharu. Then he left, but not before smirking at the elders. _They picked the wrong person to mess with._ Sasuke thought. He considered the meeting to be a victory for him.

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After Sasuke had gone, Koharu was angry, "What happened? You said that those stupid bands would work!" She yelled at Homura.

Homura was stunned for a moment, and then he yelled back, "You make it sound like I wanted him to live! It was supposed to work. That pair of bands has killed at least a hundred people!"

"Well, I guess it stopped working. Did you see that damn picture? That was Kyuubi!" Koharu had lost her cool and was livid. She had even been burned with the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra. She was mad and felt this was all Homura's fault.

"Shut up, woman!" Homura said, voice threatening. Koharu said nothing, and let him continue, "Why are we fighting? Neither of us did anything wrong. That Uchiha punk is just a freak. This proves that he really is from an evil clan."

Calming down, Koharu took a breath, "Yes. I do suppose you're right. If he is being protected by a demon, then he truly is evil. What should we do now? At this rate, Uchiha will be married and get to escape his proper punishment."

The old man shook his head, "I do not know, but a lot can happen in a few weeks. Perhaps Fate will be kind and get rid of that Uchiha for us. Until then, we need to be more careful. That punk is still a skilled shinobi, and we cannot underestimate him again."

Koharu still wasn't happy," I want to know how he got the Kyuubi's aid. That demon hates everyone. What makes him so unique?"

"Unless... It's just a coincidence." Homura muttered. There was a pause as both elders contemplated this odd occurrence.

The only source of the demon's chakra was the boy who was the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. Did he help Uchiha? Was that even possible? And if it was, how would he do it, and why?

Homura didn't know the answers to these questions, and it frustrated him. He had always prided himself of planning things out, and outsmarting others, but now a _child_ was outsmarting him? It was inconceivable. Perhaps the answers would reveal themselves in time, but there were more pressing concerns to be dealt with.

"Are we going to actually give him back the former Uchiha district?" Homura asked, removing his glasses and polishing them against his shirt. "No. The buildings are old. It's likely they will need to be torn down." Koharu said, a frown on her lined face.

The man wasn't convinced, "Things that are old aren't useless. You and I prove that. We provide protection for Konoha."

"Indeed... If the buildings are in good condition, we'll just order him to destroy them anyway. If it is assigned as a community service task, he will need to do it. If he refuses, then he violates the contract, and will be executed."

Homura stroked his beard thoughtfully," That will have to do for now." _At least until I can_ _think of something else._ He thought.

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The sun had begun to set as Sasuke walked on to the Uchiha district grounds. The sunset's orange glow seemed to illuminate the fact that this area had been devoid of people for years. He walked slowly, looking around. The houses still stood, their walls marked with the Uchiha crest. That same red and white fan crest was exactly like the one on the back of his shirt. As the last Uchiha, he felt it was fitting to wear his clan's symbol. After all, who else could possibly wear it and understand its importance?

He continued to walk the old path to his home, where he had once lived with his brother, and their parents. Sasuke paused, looking at the front door. He wasn't sure if he should open the locked door. It had been years since he had last seen this place. It didn't change, but he felt as though he had. He stood in front of the locked door, and reflected on how he had changed...

When he was a child, he didn't care too much about anybody, except his family. Strangers were a little intimidating to him, so he had few acquaintances. After the massacre, he had stopped caring entirely about anyone. His single goal in life was revenge on his once-admired brother, Itachi. That did change eventually.

Sasuke had been assigned to Team 7, where he had been forced to cooperate with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. At first, he felt Kakashi was a lazy teacher, Sakura was boy-crazy and annoying, and Naruto was just a dobe. Over time, he recognized their good qualities, and found himself growing close to them, and even feeling a type of connection to them. However, he felt his bond with Naruto seemed to be the strongest. It also meant the most to him.

Despite this, Sasuke did leave the village and became a missing nin so he could get stronger. He trained, and trained for the sake of achieving his goal. His revenge was all that mattered. When he did finally get his revenge, he found that it wasn't what we wanted, or more importantly, _needed._ His family was still dead, and nothing had changed, except his hands were now stained with blood.

Then, Naruto had decided to show up in his life again. He succeeded in bringing the Uchiha back to Konoha, just like he always vowed he would. Strangely enough, Sasuke wasn't angry at Naruto for this. Now, he was glad that he was here in this village, where Naruto was.

Yes, he had changed. Before, he would have preferred to be alone, but now, he did want someone by his side. He wanted the only person who mattered to him...who had always mattered to him; Naruto.

With a hint of surprise, Sasuke realized that he wanted Naruto with him as he faced his past. His presence would definitely lighten the mood, and would have made things easier. Sasuke smiled slightly. He was beginning to really miss the blond, even though he had just seen him a few hours before.

_I can't believe it. I guess I really have fallen for a dobe. _Sasuke thought, unlocking the door, and stepping inside his former home, still full of memories.

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Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop, feeling the wind on his face. Blue eyes scanned the ground carefully. He hadn't seen Sasuke around lately, and was now looking for him. Just as he was starting to get really worried, he caught sight of the raven-haired boy walking towards his current direction.

"Hey Sasuke!" he called leaping off a rooftop and landing a few feet away from his friend.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, a far-away look in his dark eyes.

Naruto waved a hand in front of Sasuke's face, "Anybody home in there?"

"Don't be an idiot. I'm just thinking about some stuff." Sasuke answered, continuing to walk. As he passed Naruto, the blond noticed that the other boy was holding a small square item wrapped in purple fabric.

"What's that?" Naruto inquired, curious.

The raven-haired boy didn't say anything, but merely glanced at Naruto. He tossed the small bundle to Naruto, who eagerly caught it. He gently pulled off the fabric, not knowing what to expect. Beneath the fabric was a picture frame. Naruto flipped it over and looked at the image. It appeared to be a family photo. To be more specific, a family of four. A pretty mother was standing in a garden with her serious husband, and their sons: an older boy with a slight smile on his lips, and his younger brother, laughing next to him.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Sasuke... is this your..." he trailed off, unable to complete his sentence.

Onyx eyes showed a hint of wistful sadness. "Yes. That was taken on my mother's birthday. She framed it, and kept it on her night-stand. She said she did it so the first thing she would see when she woke up was her family. After all these years, that picture remained right where she left it, until I decided to bring it with me."

"Oh. I see. How did you get it?" Naruto asked softly, continuing to look at the photograph, marveling how happy the Uchiha family looked, especially Sasuke.

"I went back to the Uchiha district to have a look around as an assignment. I found that and some other pictures that weren't framed." Sasuke put a hand in his pocket and removed a stack of photos held together with a black ribbon. He put them back after Naruto saw the bundle.

Naruto smiled. He knew the Uchiha wasn't the emotional type, and he definitely didn't share his feelings openly so it really meant a lot to Naruto that Sasuke was willingly showing him these pictures. "Thank you, Sasuke." He said, still looking down at the picture frame he held.

Sasuke stood near Naruto. He placed his hand under the blond's chin, and tilted his head up so they were looking at each directly. Sasuke leaned forward, until he was resting his forehead on Naruto's. A rare smile adorned the raven-haired boy's face. "You're welcome, Naruto. I knew you would be able to appreciate this." They remained like that, connected by their mutual fondness for one another.

At last, Naruto pulled away slowly, reluctantly. He was blushing. He rewrapped the picture frame, and passed it back to Sasuke. They looked at each other once more, and continued their walk in a comfortable silence.

A girl's voice called them,"Hey, Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto looked around. From across the street, a blonde girl waved at them, "I've been looking for you two."

Ino ran up to them. Naruto smiled in greeting, while Sasuke remained expressionless. She spoke to Naruto, "Sakura told me to tell you not to be late for tonight." Then she looked at Sasuke. She winked at the attractive Uchiha before delivering her message, "Hinata's at the fanciest clothing store in Konoha. Today is the day when she's finally picking her wedding dress! You need to get your outfit too."

The boys briefly exchanged looks of mild disappointment, and then Naruto thanked Ino for her messages. The girl smiled and shook her head, ponytail dancing behind her. "Don't mention it. I just finished a flower delivery and just happened to find you two on my way back." She looked at both boys up and down, and turned around to head back to Yamanaka Flower Shop. Ino waved at them, and darted off.

As Ino was leaving, she giggled as a thought occurred to her. _Wow. Naruto's really handsome, and Sasuke- well, he's always been drool-worthy. It would be so hot if they were together..._

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After Ino left, Sasuke asked," You're seeing Sakura?" his tone was sharp, almost accusing.

Naruto didn't notice the tone. He was thinking about the question, and finally remembered, "Oh yeah! She wanted to have some ramen with us tonight."

The Uchiha was skeptical, "Okay... What exactly did she say?"

Naruto repeated the earlier conversation with Sakura. Sasuke listened, becoming irritated. It was obvious that she wanted a date. Just her and Naruto... What about Naruto? Did he want that too?

_Hn... Sakura is quite gifted. She has the unique ability to annoy me without actually talking to me._ Sasuke thought, mood darkening.

"What are you going to do?" Sasuke asked, voice showing no emotion.

"Hm... I don't think I can cancel on her. Sakura-chan will be really mad." Naruto shuddered, remembering how she gets when she's mad. The last thing he needed was to be punched so hard he would end up flying through the air... and then crash into a building on the way down. After his visualization, he continued to speak," I guess I'll go."

"That's fine. I have something I need to do anyway."

Naruto frowned. He wanted Sasuke to go with him. With hope in his eyes, he said," You should go with me. If you hurry up at the clothing shop, you can join us."

"Fine." was Sasuke's terse response. The Uchiha wasn't sure if Naruto told him that because he was just trying to be friendly, or he if really meant it. Regardless, Sasuke decided that hurrying up would be a good idea. He could ensure Sakura kept her hands off Naruto.

"Alright. See you later, then." Naruto said, his frown still on his face. He was bothered by the fact that the wedding was approaching so quickly. Eventually, he and Sasuke wouldn't be able to hang out together whenever they wanted to. Each of their lives would be so busy and it would keep them apart. He sighed, and remembered what he had once said.

_I guess it is all for the best..._

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Hinata spun around, her white dress twirling with her. "Well, what do you think?" the saleswoman, Kiku, asked the bride-to-be.

The Hyuuga heiress stopped and studied her reflection. She was wearing a snow-colored dress with a halter neckline, and long skirt that flared out gracefully. White roses were delicately embroidered on the dress's satin surface. "Yes, it is nice." Hinata said quietly.

"Nice? You look gorgeous!" Kiku exclaimed," Didn't I tell you? That dress really flatters your figure."

"I don't know. Perhaps it's a little revealing." Although Hinata did have a good figure, she didn't like to show so much skin. The dress was low-cut and tight. It accentuated all her curves. The girl turned to the side, looking at the mirror. There was one curve on her body that startled her. It was a small hill on her belly. Hinata suddenly felt sick.

"Can I have a looser dress?" Hinata asked, trying to push down the bump. Kiku didn't notice that part of Hinata's body. The saleswoman was jealous of Hinata's cleavage. _Hmph. Some girls get all the luck._

Kiku sighed, then returned her attention back to the customer's face. She put a friendly smile on and made a suggestion. "Why don't we see what your future husband will think?"

Hinata's pale eyes widened." N-no, I..." She didn't get to finish her sentence because Kiku left the changing room.

"Uchiha-san!" Kiku called. She looked around briefly before being completely distracted by what she saw. A very handsome man wearing a black suit was tying his tie. He had glossy blue-black hair that stuck up in the back with longer strands that framed his face. His skin was as pale as moonlight and his eyes were obsidian pools that didn't give away his thoughts. Kiku couldn't help but gawk at him. She wasn't alone. All the women in the store were staring at this mysterious man.

Sasuke Uchiha (for it was him) finished with his tie. He looked up to see women staring. Some had their eyes bugged out. Others were wiping drool off their mouths. He cleared his throat and asked, "Excuse me, is Hinata finished?"

Kiku's head bobbed up and down. Even his voice was sexy! She felt like fainting.

"Yeah, I'll get her." Kiku practically floated away. She was so light-headed. It wasn't every day that a man like that walked into her shop. "Hinata-chan, your future husband wishes to see you." Once again, the saleswoman felt a stab of envy. _Hmph! A great body and a sexy husband? Life is so unfair..._

While Kiku was grumbling to herself, Hinata was still in the dressing room. The girl draped a shawl over her shoulders. She knew that Sasuke was very observant, and her little bump would attract his attention. She didn't know if he would be angry at her, but she didn't care about that. She was more worried about Kiba. She needed to tell him as soon as possible. She had wanted to tell him earlier at the hospital, but Tsunade had entered the room before she got the opportunity.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was completely ignoring the stares he was getting. Instead, his own eyes were focused on the window he was sitting in front of. He glanced at the nearby clock. It was almost nine o'clock at night. He knew that Sakura and Naruto had already finished eating, and it was likely that they would pass by the clothing store. It was only a block away from Ichiraku Ramen.

Sure enough, Sasuke did see them passing by, across the street. Sakura was laughing at something Naruto had said. The pink-haired girl then stopped and hugged herself. Sasuke could read her lips and knew she had said she was cold. Naruto took off his orange and black jacket, and passed it to her. Sakura smiled and put it on. She then leaned closer to him, and intertwined her arm with his. Naruto looked at her, surprised. After seeing that, the Uchiha had needed to look away. He closed the window's curtain. If Sasuke would have continued to look, he would have noticed the sadness present on Naruto's own face.

While Sasuke was watching them, a single tear had slid down his cheek. The raven-haired boy noticed, and immediately wiped it away. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was his own tear. His chest felt strange too. It was as though his heart was in a vice, and being crushed.

"Sasuke-san!" Hinata called to him. He got up slowly, his expression devoid of emotion. He walked over to where Hinata was standing in front of a large mirror. Sasuke stood next to her, and looked at their reflections. Despite their nice clothes and the fact they were getting married, neither of them were smiling, he realized. Why? They weren't happy.

As the Uchiha continued to stare at his and Hinata's image in the mirror, a thought occurred to him. _I have seen the past and the future in one day. _

Today, he had seen his past in the Uchiha district. That was definite and could not be changed, no matter what. Right now, in the present, he was seeing his possible future. He would be married to Hinata, and Naruto would be with Sakura. That meant he wouldn't be with Naruto, and that caused the vice to tighten around his heart.

Sasuke suddenly felt a surge of anger. Why did bad things always have to happen to him? It was bad enough that his whole family was dead, but now that he found somebody worth loving - somebody who made him happy - that person was also going to be snatched away from him! The Uchiha had dealt with loss too many times and wasn't about to experience it again.

_No. I will not accept that future. I'd rather die than see that happen._


	10. Chapter 9: Confrontation

Author's note: Hi! Let's see...I currently feel very guilty for taking so long to update. I had a terrible case of writer's block, but now I have recovered. I wrote three different versions of this chapter but I didn't like any of them. Fortunately, I hunted down some inspiration and ended up writing this one. I even came up with an idea for a new story, but for now, I want to focus on this one. Anyway, thanks to my readers who added this story to alerts and favorites. You guys rock! To my reviewers: Thank you so much! All of your reviews make me so happy, and I can't thank you enough! Alright, you know the drill; please review and let me know what you think! I appreciate any and all reviews and will gratefully accept any suggestions for improvement, OK? Let's roll!

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto, and I own six dogs. I wonder if he would be interested in a trade...

Chapter 9: Confrontation

Naruto glanced at the apartment's front door as Sasuke slammed it shut behind him. Once again, the Uchiha had left for the day and it was likely he wouldn't be back until nightfall. Sasuke spent his most of his time at the Uchiha district. He was directly involved with the renovations of the complex because in a few days, he would be moving out of Naruto's apartment. Sasuke had announced his plans to move back to the Uchiha district the following day after Naruto's date with Sakura a week-and-half ago. Needless to say, Naruto was against the idea. He had tried in vain to convince Sasuke not to leave, but the raven-haired boy was adamant. Sasuke had spoken with a sharpness in his tone that suggested he was angry about something, but gave no indication as to what. After that, Naruto had let the issue drop. He didn't want to spend the remainder of his time left with Sasuke arguing.

Naruto sighed unhappily. He knew that with each passing day, there was a growing distance between them. Since the wedding was announced, he had always known it would be inevitable, but it still hurt him. However, he had no desire to tell that to Sasuke. Naruto didn't need or want to make things awkward, which would only add tension to the already strained relationship. He tried rather often to think of Sasuke moving as a good thing because it meant that the Uchiha would be willing to let go of the past and begin building a better future for himself... A future where he could be happy.

In truth, that was Naruto's only real solace because although he loved Sasuke and wanted only the best for him, he still wanted to be by his side. Naruto considered himself to be a bit selfish in that regard, but when you loved someone, letting them go was never easy. And it wouldn't get easier, but hopefully, he would eventually just love Sasuke as a friend. He would still remain in his life and that would be enough... Right?

But, even if he continued to be in love like he was now, Naruto still resolved to be Sasuke's friend. He just hoped he wouldn't screw things up...

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Sakura smiled warmly at Naruto as he approached her in the park. She had arranged for them to have a picnic lunch under the large oak tree that stood in the park's center. The tree provided an ample amount of shade and was ringed with beautiful flowers. In short, Sakura considered it to be romantic, and she wanted to subtly show Naruto that she was serious about developing a relationship with the boy that went deeper than mere friendship.

"Hey Naruto! I'm glad you could make it. I was actually starting to worry if you were going to show up." Sakura said, sounding cheerful like usual.

"Of course, Sakura-chan! I wouldn't dream of just ditching you at the last minute." Naruto replied, trying to put a smile on his face. He succeeded of course, but his outward happiness was not reflected in his eyes, nor on the inside, where it really mattered.

Green eyes narrowed, studying him carefully. Sakura had known Naruto for several years, and it was obvious something was bothering him. She was concerned and decided to find out, but first things first...

She sat down on a blanket placed on the grass, and patted the spot next to her. "Sit down Naruto."

The blond did as he was told, and sat next to her, but kept a respectful distance. Sakura unwrapped some onigiri and offered one to Naruto, who took it eagerly. She kept one for herself and took a bite, and watched the boy as he did the same. A smile of enjoyment graced his features but he still had a contemplative look on his face. This seemed to be the perfect time to see what was going on.

"What's wrong? You don't seem like yourself today." Sakura said, between bites. Naruto paused, thinking about it before replying.

"Really? I feel the same. How am I any different?"

"Well, you're just not..." she hesitated a moment before continuing, "I don't know how to explain it, but you seem 'off'. Know what I mean?"

"Not really." He admitted, finishing his onigiri.

Sakura passed him another from the basket she brought with her. He thanked her, and she tried to help him understand," Normally, you're more talkative and you smile genuinely. Today, your smile felt forced and you've been quiet."

" I guess..."

Sakura winked at him, "See? You just proved my point. You're talking far less than normal. If you tell me what's wrong, I can help you find a solution to your problem. Two heads are better than one, you know."

Naruto didn't really feel like talking about what was bugging him, but he was also aware of the fact that Sakura was just trying to be a good friend. Her kindness allowed him to share a portion of what was wrong,"Alright, Sakura-chan. I'll tell you." He shifted in his seat, trying to get more comfortable before getting to the real matter," You know that Sasuke is living with me, right?"

Sakura nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"Well, on a good day, he's a bastard. He insults me and I insult him. It's our own little routine." Naruto smiled at the memory then his smile began to shrink, "Lately, he's just ...different. He's constantly busy, gone practically all the time, and won't even make smart-ass remarks anymore."

A frown was present on the pink-haired girl's pretty features. "Oh, I see. It sounds to me like Sasuke-kun is changing. Maybe he just wants a fresh start."

Naruto stopped eating. "Yeah. You're probably right." he mumbled. This conversation wasn't making him feel any better. In fact, he was feeling worse. Sakura noticed and quickly said," I'm sure he'll still be our friend! He's probably adjusting to the thought of marriage. After all, it is a big responsibility."

The blond said nothing.

The girl felt bad. Naruto was still clearly upset and it seemed like she had only made him even more dejected. Sakura needed to think of something that would instantly lighten the mood. _Got it! _She thought triumphantly as she remembered a recent conversation with Ino.

"Naruto, in three days, we're going to have a party!"

The boy blinked, "Huh?" _Party? That's random..._he thought.

She nodded, "Yeah! Ino told me she was planning a party at her house and everyone's invited. It's to celebrate Sasuke-kun and Hinata's engagement. I bet that will be enough to make you and him loosen up and have fun."

"Isn't it kind of late for an engagement party?" He asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"I know, and I mentioned that to Ino. She said it was supposed to be two parties; a bachelor and a bachelorette party, for Sasuke-kun and Hinata, respectively. However, she didn't know what type of entertainment to have for the boys. When she asked Shikamaru for advice, he told her he thought having a party like that for Sasuke-kun was 'too troublesome'."

Naruto grinned. "That definitely sounds like Shikamaru."

"Yeah. Anyway, Ino just went ahead and decided to plan both parties together, combining them into one. She didn't even say anything to Hinata or Sasuke-kun because she wanted it to be a surprise. Everyone else knows and has been invited already." She smiled. "And now you know."

"That sounds like fun, but how are you going to get Sasuke there?" Naruto asked.

Sakura took another bite of her onigiri and chewed it thoughtfully. After a moment, an idea popped into her head." You'll do it."

"Me?"

"Sure. Come on, Naruto. Sasuke-kun would know something was up if Ino or I asked him. If you do it, he would listen and wouldn't suspect anything. Please." She smiled, and batted her eyelashes at him.

"OK. I'll do it," He said and then looked at her, puzzled." Is there something in your eye, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura looked blank for a second, but if Naruto was being oblivious, that meant he was his old self. This realization cheered her up immediately. "No, but you seem to have lightened up a bit."

He grinned mischievously, "Of course! Sasuke's probably going to be pissed off, but it will be funny to see. So, thanks for letting me know about the party. You're the best, Sakura-chan!"

She blushed, embarrassed by his praise. "It's nothing, really. But, you're welcome anyway. I'm glad you're happy again. That's all I wanted..." she spoke the last sentence softly. Naruto didn't hear. He was too busy unwrapping the last onigiri.

"Naruto." She called. He looked at her, curious. "What's up?"

Sakura said nothing, but stared at him. More specifically, she looked at his lips. She leaned towards him to give him a kiss, but instead of feeling her lips on his, she felt rice on them...

Naruto had pressed the onigiri to her mouth!

Sakura blinked, not sure what to say or do. Her eyes met Naruto's, and they gazed at one another. Finally, he laughed. "I didn't know you liked onigiri so much! You know, Sakura-chan, I would have just given you the last one. All you needed to do was ask!" Naruto didn't know her real intentions. He had assumed that she just wanted the last onigiri. He was as oblivious as ever, but Sakura was not mad. In fact, it was strangely comforting to the girl because it meant that everything was fine.

A smile returned to her face. She pulled away from the rice ball, and playfully snatched it from Naruto. "I know. But why ask when I know you would just give me it?"

They both laughed. Afterwards, they spent the remainder of the afternoon together, talking and enjoying one another's company as only friends can.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sitting in the training field, Hinata glanced at the sky. A cold breeze blew in from the west, bringing storm clouds with it. She placed her hand over her growing bump. She hoped that she wouldn't get a cold. It could be bad for the baby.

"Hinata!" Kiba called, his hair ruffling in the wind. He raced towards her, his usual fanged grin present on his face. Akamaru barked a greeting, tagging at his heels. Kiba immediately noticed Hinata's serious expression, and felt a sense of dread.

"What's wrong?" Kiba asked, settling down next to her. Akamaru looked curious too. The large dog sniffed Hinata eagerly. After a moment, he stopped and tilted his head to the side, thinking about it. At last, he barked excitedly, as though congratulating her. She rubbed the dog's head. "Thank you."

Kiba was immediately puzzled by their exchange. The Inuzuka had always assumed that he understood Akamaru best, but right now, he had no clue as to what was going on. "Would you mind filling me in?" he requested.

"Of course... Kiba, I'm pregnant." Hinata answered. She was calm and serene when she replied.

He sat there, mouth agape. "Eh?" was the only coherent sound he made. Akamaru sat on the other side of Hinata, head on her lap. She continued to pet the large dog while the father of her child attempted to say something intelligible.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean 'why'? These things do happen." she answered.

Kiba blinked. "No. I meant... Why are you so calm? You just saw me! I made a complete dumbass of myself!" The Hyuuga heiress laughed softly. She smiled and spoke," Kiba- kun, I'm actually really scared." Kiba still was confused. She continued, "But, beyond that, I'm just happy... I get to have a child. Our child."

Silence.

Hinata stopped her petting, and looked at the boy. He was once again staring off into the distance. "What do you think?" she asked. His lack of responses was beginning to worry her.

"You're keeping it?"

"Yes. There's no doubt in my mind. I want this child." Her reply was full of resolve. It was obvious that she had thought about it, and had already made her final choice.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Kiba asked, not looking at her.

"Yes. I'm about ten weeks along. I've taken several different pregnancy tests and they are all positive. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I wasn't completely sure. Besides, I've heard that you aren't supposed to tell anyone you're pregnant until twelve weeks. After that point, the rate of miscarriage is lower."

"I see... why didn't you wait two weeks?"

For the first time, she was sad as she answered," You know exactly why...I'm getting married in ten days." Kiba got up from the grass. He brushed himself off, and began to walk away.

"Kiba-kun! Where are you going?" she called after him.

He sighed loudly, but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry, Hinata. This isn't my problem. It's just yours and Sasuke's." He practically spat out the Uchiha's name.

"But... this is your child! Not his. What are you going to do?" her voice broke, and it was clear that she had begun crying.

He still didn't look at her. "It doesn't matter. I don't need to do anything. It's not my problem anymore." Kiba continued to walk away. Despite his cold words, his own heart was breaking. He was leaving the mother of his first child, the love of his life. Why? Even though Kiba didn't like Sasuke, he knew that Sasuke could provide a good life for Hinata and the baby. Everyone knew that the Uchiha clan had money. They could have a comfortable life with Sasuke. Kiba barely had enough money to support himself, and there would be no way he could support two more people, especially a baby. By giving up now, Kiba felt he would be sparing Hinata and the baby from a life of problems. He reasoned that this was the best possible course of action for him to take: walking away.

"Good luck, Hinata. I'm sorry." Kiba said. Hinata's once-quiet sobs were steadily increasing in volume. "Akamaru, let's go." he ordered the dog. Akamaru didn't respond. Instead, he momentarily bared his fangs at Kiba, but remained by Hinata's side. The dog was going to comfort her when she needed it most. Hinata had just been abandoned by Kiba; the dog would ensure that she wasn't alone.

Wiping away a stray tear, Kiba left without a single look behind him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/

Ordinarily, when a teenager is asked to attend a party on a Saturday night, he or she will be excited. Then, once the night of the party arrives, they are thrilled.

However, it is also necessary to mention how other teens will react the exact opposite way when invited to a party. He or she will not want to attend, but it is likely that someone - typically an over-excited friend - will manage to coerce that person into attendance, either by persuasion or more likely, constant pestering. Then, that teen will have to attend and deal with something they'd rather not. And be particularly irritated while doing it.

Sasuke Uchiha perfectly describes the second teen. He has all the traits: not wanting to go, getting annoyed into going and being very irritated. He even has the over-excited friend... Yeah, you guessed it. The one and only Naruto Uzumaki.

Anyway, back to our story...

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_**Three Days Later...**_

Sasuke glared at the blond by his side. "Remind me why I'm not killing you right now."

A smile greeted the murderous Uchiha. "You're the one that agreed to this." Naruto said, gesturing to the scene around them. They were at Ino's house, in her living room. Nearly everyone they knew was either drinking, dancing around to the loud music, flirting, eating, and being very lively. To everyone involved, the party was a success.

Not to Sasuke, of course.

Naruto draped an arm around Sasuke's shoulder, "Come on, Sasuke! Lighten up! We're here to celebrate."

The Uchiha rolled his dark eyes, "What do I have to celebrate? I'm surrounded by drunken idiots." He sniffed Naruto briefly, and pulled away from him, disgusted. "Including you. You stink like alcohol!"

Naruto blinked, blue eyes slightly unfocused. He grinned, embarrassed. "Well, I did have some sake..."

"Dobe, don't you know that alcohol kills brain cells? Are you trying to make yourself even more stupid?" Sasuke asked. He was already mad, but Naruto's constant idiocy was making him psychotic.

Naruto didn't say anything in reply. Sasuke didn't care. Instead, he stalked away, crossing Ino's spacious living room and heading out the door to the back yard, ignoring all who approached him. Outside, he took a deep breath to calm down, and got a lung full of cigarette smoke for his trouble. He coughed loudly, not used to it.

"What the fuck?" He said between coughs.

"Oh... Didn't know anyone else was out here."

Sasuke looked around. Shikamaru was standing there, lit cigarette in his hand. Neji and Chouji were nearby, sitting on a bench. None of them were drinking. This was a surprise to Sasuke. "What are you doing here?" He asked them.

Shikamaru replied first, "l don't like to drink. I prefer to smoke." He took a drag on his cigarette, and exhaled a plume of smoke, proving his point.

Neji folded his arms, frowning. "I won't drink either. It ruins the clarity of one's mind. Plus, the music is obnoxious."

"And you?" Sasuke asked Chouji.

Chouji shrugged, "I'd rather not drink; sake and barbeque chips don't mix well." He resumed snacking on the mentioned potato chips. After a moment, he added," it's nicer out here anyway. Quiet and breezy."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. He looked up at the night sky. A thick blanket of dark clouds hovered overhead, obscuring the stars completely. The wind blew, blowing away the cigarette smoke. The wind carried a faint scent of water, revealing the clouds' intentions. _I wonder when it will start raining, _thought Sasuke, still busy with his observations.

"Speaking of quiet, where's Hinata? I haven't seen her recently." Neji mentioned. Then the Hyuuga addressed Sasuke. "You two are getting married next Friday; you should at least know where she's at."

"Hn." was his reply.

Neji was irked at Sasuke's lack of concern. He was about to reprimand the raven-haired boy but Chouji spoke before he could, effectively interrupting him and preventing a possible argument. "I saw Hinata earlier, Neji. She was at the party for a while, and then she left. She looked kind of pale, like she was sick or something. Maybe she had some sake and it made her feel like puking."

This answer was enough to placate Neji. He knew his cousin was stronger than people were willing to believe. He assumed she left because she didn't want to partake in any questionable behavior tonight.

"Thank you for informing me, Chouji. It's good to know that others are paying attention to the current situation." Neji said, and then glared pointedly at Sasuke, "Unlike some people..."

"Hn." was Sasuke's opinion on Neji's remark.

"Anyway, why are you out here, Sasuke? Shouldn't you be inside, being the life of the party?" Shikamaru asked, tapping his cigarette and watching the gray ash fall to the concrete below.

"Why the hell would I do that? Believe it or not, I don't even want to be here." Sasuke said. His tone reflected his bad mood.

"Heh. I can believe that." Shikamaru replied. "Why did you even come?"

Sasuke sighed loudly, exasperated.

Chouji chuckled. "I know what that means." He grinned, amused."Naruto, right?"

"Of course. He just wouldn't stop bothering me! I told him I'd go if he would shut up. He eventually did, and now I'm here."

"I figured as much. Ino forced me into attendance. She can be very troublesome sometimes..." Shikamaru stopped talking to listen to a female voice calling him.

"Shikamaru! Get in here!" Sure enough, Ino appeared at the doorway. She surveyed the four boys and the surrounding garden, to make sure nobody was hurt and nothing was broken. She glanced up at the clouds that threatened rain. "All of you get inside. Can't you see it's going to rain? I don't need wet footprints all over the floor."

Right after Ino was finished talking, water fell from the heavens. It seemed almost as though the rain was waiting to be acknowledged before coming down.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered to the sudden shower, before taking his cigarette out of his mouth and stepping on it to extinguish its flame.

"Hurry up!" Ino ordered them. She would be cleaning once the party was over and didn't want to clean any more than she had to. Wordlessly, the boys listened to the blonde girl and walked inside. Sasuke delayed a bit, lingering near the threshold. He closed the door behind him and locked it, but continued to look through the glass, watching as it slowly began to rain harder. He didn't want to be here. Being outside, even if it meant getting soaked, would be much better.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Shikamaru called him, and threw something towards him. The Uchiha caught it easily and glanced at it. It was an unopened bottle of sake. He gave the Nara a questioning look.

"You may not want it, but you do look like you need it."

Sasuke scanned the area around him. Drunken idiots were present. Not surprising, really. What did catch his attention was Sakura. She was sitting on the couch in the middle of the room, and was all over Naruto, who was next to her.

To be fair, she wasn't _literally_ all over him, of course. She was tipsy and flirting rather brazenly with him. The blond boy was even beginning to look a bit uncomfortable. Sasuke felt a familiar jealousy nonetheless. His envy was also mixed with sadness, which was visible only for an instant.

The raven-haired boy returned his attention back to Shikamaru, who was waiting for a reaction. Sasuke smirked, covering up his inner turmoil. "You know something? I think you're right." he said.

Shikamaru wasn't surprised as the Uchiha opened the sake and started drinking straight from the bottle. Although, he didn't say anything else, the genius tactician was sure this situation was going to be troublesome...

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_**Two Hours Later...**_

Kiba was the type of person who liked to drink for recreational purposes. Normally, when he got drunk, he was very jovial and was considered to be a 'happy drunk', which meant he was overly friendly and in good spirits when intoxicated. However, due to the fact that he was currently trying to drown his sorrow over Hinata's news, he was just drinking to cope with it.

The alcohol was putting him in a depressed state of mind, and he had been mildly lashing out at people. Kiba had insulted Ino, saying she looked like a whore. Understandably, the blonde was furious. To retaliate, she slapped him across the face with a surprising amount of force, called him a moron and demanded an apology. He complied, suddenly afraid of the girl's wrath. Afterwards, he was careful to avoid Ino at all costs.

During this time, Shino had been watching the incident. He suggested to Kiba that he should stop drinking and go home. Kiba had gotten angry, calling Shino a coward for not helping him out. The insect handler had been patient with Kiba throughout the party, listening to him complain about everything, and was now fed-up with the Inuzuka's ungrateful behavior. Shino left the party without another word, leaving Kiba alone to drink and sulk quietly.

Kiba was sitting in the corner of Ino's kitchen when he heard a peal of laughter from the living room, then a reprimanding voice followed. Curious, he got up, and wobbled a bit, nearly falling over. Holding on to the wall, he slowly made his way to the living room. Kiba noticed a several people had left. Only Ino, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke remained.

Ino was cleaning up. Naruto looked nervous as Sakura approached him. Sasuke watched her, wary of her motives.

"Come on, Naruto. Don't you want to take me home now?" Sakura asked, leaning on the blond. She was obviously drunk now, and Naruto didn't know how to interpret her question.

"Uh..." was his reply.

"No, he doesn't. If he's taking anyone home, it's me." Sasuke declared, pushing Sakura away. He wrapped his arms possessively around Naruto, who, being sober, wondered how strong Sasuke's bottle of sake had been. Then again, he had drunk a full bottle by himself. Maybe this was normal...

Sakura pouted, "Why do you get Naruto? I saw him first."

"Bullshit like that doesn't change anything. Besides, _I _saw him first." Sasuke replied, tightening his hold on Naruto. He smirked, then licked the side of Naruto's face. "Do you still want him now?"

The pink-haired girl looked shocked, "Why did you do that?"

Another smirk, "When someone licks something they want, it means they really want it. It also discourages others from touching the licked object. Or in this case, Naruto."

Poor Naruto was in a total state of disbelief. His face was red, and he was sure he must have been hallucinating for something this crazy to happen. The only problem with that was there was no way he could be hallucinating. He had stopped drinking earlier after Sasuke had told that he smelled like alcohol.

Perhaps that was a mistake. Maybe being drunk right now would make things easier. Who knows? It might have even made sense of things...

"But, Sasuke-kun, you can't have him. What about Hinata? Next Friday, you two are getting married." Sakura said, hands on hips.

"So what?" Sasuke remarked, nuzzling Naruto gently. The blond gaped, knowing it was official; Sasuke was astonishingly drunk. Why else would he behave like this?

"I knew it! Hinata deserves way better than trash like you!" Kiba suddenly yelled. He had just witnessed the whole scene between Team 7 and was beyond furious. He approached Sasuke, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

The Uchiha was not even remotely scared. After all, it's difficult to be intimidated by anyone who can't walk straight. "Why do you care who marries Hinata?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

"Because she's...Uh..." Kiba stammered, trying to remember why he was running the risk of getting beaten up. Although he forgot about the pregnancy, he still remembered the most important thing," Because I love her!"

Sakura and Ino exchanged looks of surprise. Naruto didn't know what to think, but he now realized why Kiba was acting the way he was. The blond pitied him and just wanted to end this now before it escalated into a fight, but Sasuke didn't care in the slightest. "What's your point?"

Kiba's eyes narrowed," You cold bastard! You don't give a shit about anyone except yourself! Why don't you get the fuck out of Konoha? We were a lot better off without you!"

Sasuke finally released Naruto. He stood directly in front of Kiba, and looked at him. His onyx eyes gleamed with malice and anger," You make it sound like I _want_ to be in this damn place." he whispered, only loud enough for the Inuzuka to hear. "You say I don't care about anyone...Maybe that was true at some point, but now I do. This person is my only reason for staying here. This person would probably be upset if I killed you, so consider yourself lucky."

Staggering back, Kiba tried to distance himself from the Uchiha. He walked backwards towards the door, not taking his eyes off Sasuke. It was obvious the he meant every word he said. However, Kiba just had to antagonize him some more. "You _care_ about anyone? Don't make me laugh."

Sasuke said nothing, but waited for Kiba to speak again. "Let's be real here, Uchiha. Even if you do actually give a damn about somebody besides yourself, what makes you think anybody would give a shit about a traitorous son of a bitch like you?" While Kiba had spoken, he had gotten foolish and approached Sasuke once again.

To everyone's horror, Sasuke grabbed Kiba's wrist. He twisted it roughly, causing Kiba to fall to his knees. He continued to twist it, until an audible crunching sound could be heard. Sasuke released Kiba, who clutched his now-broken wrist. Kiba's eyes were clouded with pain, but he did eventually stand and jump backwards, once again trying to quickly distance himself from Sasuke. This movement made Sasuke laugh softly. His laugh was frightening, and Kiba had the good sense to try to run out the front door of Ino's house.

Just as Kiba turned his back on Sasuke, the raven-haired boy's voice was heard, "Don't you know that you're never supposed to turn your back on an opponent?" There was a whistling sound as six shuriken ripped through the air. They collided with the flesh of a person, making a soft slicing sound.

Kiba felt nothing, and slowly reached behind him, trying to feel his back. There was no shuriken, and no blood. One of the girls made a choked sob, and spoke, "Naruto!"

Naruto smiled very slightly at the girls who were both crying now, watching as blood from the shuriken stabbed into his back dyed his orange jacket crimson. "I'm fine. Please don't cry..."

The Inuzuka turned around to see meet Naruto's blue eyes. "Are you okay?" Naruto asked him. Kiba could only look at him, and eventually nod. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that the blond had just saved him.

"That's good." Naruto said, then returned his attention to the girls, "Sakura-chan, fix Kiba's wrist, and escort him home. Ino, thanks for the party and help Sakura-chan."

While he spoke, Sasuke stood there, feeling nothing. He had known that Naruto had seen him reach for his shuriken, but he didn't think that the Uzumaki would actually interfere and take the attack in Kiba's place. The Uchiha didn't know what to do. By being reckless, he had hurt Naruto.

Maybe Kiba had been right. Maybe everyone, especially Naruto, had been better off without him. He looked at the door, and raced towards it. He opened it, and dashed away into the raining night.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called after him. He moved towards the door, but someone caught his wrist. It was Ino, "Naruto, you can't go! What about your injuries?"

He pulled away from Ino gently, "I need to go after him."

"You don't! Just stay here and I'll heal your back." she said. Ino was worried about him. He was always so selfless, but now, he needed to take care of himself.

The blonde girl felt a hand on her shoulder," No, Ino. Just let him go. He needs to. Can't you see that?" It was Sakura. She looked sad, but she knew that Naruto wanted to go after Sasuke. After all, he had spent years trying to bring him back, which allowed her to see Naruto's determination and faithfulness regarding Sasuke.

He smiled at the girls, "Thanks for all your concern. I'll be back later." With that, Naruto ran out the open door, and into the night, in pursuit of Sasuke.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Rain fell in sheets, blurring the boy's vision. The wind blew, making the trees sway and shudder. Naruto felt branches tug at his clothing, as though trying to stop him. He paid no attention to their efforts. Naruto wouldn't let anything stop him. Earlier, as he reached the beginning of the forest, he had ripped the shuriken out of back and tossed them to the ground, thinking they would slow him down. Removing them had produced more blood loss, but Kyuubi was quick to remedy the situation, using his chakra to mend the lacerated flesh.

Now, he was still running, calling Sasuke's name. The blond leapt swiftly from tree branch to tree branch, never once losing his footing. Any mistake could result in Naruto's worst fear; Sasuke running away from Konoha. Again.

After more traveling, Naruto reached a clearing in the center of the forest. He noticed movement in the darkness, and knew somebody was there. Lightning split the heavens, brightening the night into day for an instant, but it was enough to reveal the person in the darkness.

It was Sasuke, and he was just standing there. It almost seemed as though he was waiting for something.

"Naruto, why are you always following me?" Sasuke asked, voice lacking any emotion.

"I'm your friend, and I don't want to see you do anything stupid." Naruto said, then continued," Sasuke, let's just go home. I'm not mad at you."

"Why not? Why aren't you mad? After everything that's happened, you should hate me!" Sasuke yelled at him, emotionless mask breaking. He couldn't understand why Naruto had so much faith in him. Sasuke knew he didn't deserve such flawless loyalty from anyone.

"I could never hate you. I only want to help you." Naruto replied, feeling water slide down his cheek. He didn't know if it was tears or rain.

"Help me? Don't you get it? All of this shit I've needed to deal with regarding this damn hellhole you call a village is your entire fault! You're always fucking up my life!"

Naruto took a step back, shocked, "Is... is that what you really think?"

"Yes! If you had never brought me back, I could have avoided all of this shit! But _no_, you just had to be an annoying dobe and continue to stalk me relentlessly throughout the years."

The blond looked at him in the eyes, walking a little closer to him. Sasuke didn't walk away, just stood there, wondering how Naruto would react.

Naruto smiled, but it was obvious he was hurt by the Uchiha's harsh words," Do you really want to know why I was chasing you for so long?"

Silence, then a weak nod from the raven-haired boy.

"I just wanted you to be happy, and I still do." Naruto replied honestly.

Sasuke looked angrier," Happy? I'm not happy! I'm just pissed off. How can you believe I would be happy here? You brought me here against my will. I was happier being a missing nin!"

Now it was Naruto's turn to be mad," That's bullshit and you know it! Life as a missing nin? What kind of life is that? That's a criminal's life full of problems! How can anyone be happy like that?"

The Uchiha knew that Naruto was right, but would not admit it. A pained expression appeared in Sasuke's dark eyes, as though what he was about to say would hurt him. "I hate you, Naruto Uzumaki! I've always hated you!" Around them, the wind roared. Once again, lightning struck, causing the downpour to worsen.

"That's too bad, Sasuke, because I still love you."

Even though they mixed with the falling rain, Sasuke could still feel his own tears fall as he spoke," Why, Naruto?"

"You know what? I used to hate you too, but later I realized I was just jealous of you. You had everything I didn't; a family, popularity, natural talent, and even good looks, but beneath that perfect exterior, I did learn that even with all that, you were like me; lonely. Only when your family was killed did you finally realize how isolated you were, yet that's not what drew me towards you." Naruto smiled before continuing, "Once we became a team, I saw your determination, your pride, your arrogance, but beyond all of that, I saw you for who you really are, and I loved what I saw... I began to love you, Sasuke."

Sasuke sniffled and wouldn't meet Naruto's gaze. He heard the sincerity in the other boy's voice and it was heartbreaking to him. However, he couldn't let Naruto know that. Instead, he reacted like - for lack of a better term - a jackass. "You selfish bastard! You just wanted me in Konoha just for your own peace of mind. If you really loved me, you'd let me go where I wanted and do whatever I wanted."

Naruto lunged at Sasuke, pinning him to a tree. He held onto the Uchiha's wrists, holding them above his head. "I just want you to be happy! I love you so much that it hurts. I don't want to see you get married, but I won't stop you. If it makes you happy, then I don't care!"

Sasuke struggled free, and pushed Naruto away from him. "This is why I hate you! You're always bothering me. Even when we were part of Team 7, you were being a nuisance to me. I was actually considering giving up on my revenge against Itachi because of you... You made me believe I could move on with my life! But I'm glad I left! If I had stayed, who knows what could have happened." Sasuke sighed, and then whispered, "I hate how you always make me feel something, even though I'd rather not."

It was true. Because of Naruto, Sasuke had felt everything, ranging from happiness, sadness, envy, and every other conceivable emotion. He even felt love towards the blond himself, he realized.

"I'm truly sorry, but that's just how things are. You can't always wear a mask, Sasuke. I just wish I understood you."

"Let's settle this, Naruto. Words can cause misunderstanding, but true shinobi can understand each other through an exchange of fists." Sasuke said, getting into a fighting stance.

Naruto nodded, "I remember the first time you told me that. The Valley of the End, all those years ago. I'll never forget that day. Are the same things at stake?"

"Of course."

"If it makes you happy, then let's go." Naruto said, watching Sasuke carefully. The Uchiha didn't look as sturdy as usual. His stance was a little unbalanced. It was probably an effect of the alcohol, just like how candidly he had spoken and how he had behaved earlier that night.

Sasuke attacked first, punching Naruto, who blocked the attack and countered with one of his own, hitting Sasuke in the jaw. The Uchiha retaliated by kicking Naruto in the gut. Naruto winced at the impact, and grabbed Sasuke's leg, and threw him into a tree. Sasuke fell to the ground, but got up quickly.

Brushing himself off, Sasuke smirked. "Who would have guessed you improved, usuratonkachi?"

"Not you."

"Hn. I guess not... All right, you know what I want to see." Sasuke focused his chakra, and activated his Sharingan. Red eyes gleamed in the darkness, illuminated by the blue glow of the Chidori. The sound of chirping birds filled the forest.

"Chidori, huh? I think Rasengan would be appropriate." Closing his eyes, Naruto felt Kyuubi's power surge within him. Red swirling chakra formed in his hand, and when he opened his eyes, they were red, with slit pupils. "Just like old times...Right, Sasuke?"

There was no reply. Instead, they raced forward, intent on hitting each other with each of their powerful jutsu. They collided, the energy hot enough to cause the rain to evaporate on contact. At first, it seemed like they were evenly matched, but Naruto had no intention of prolonging this match any longer. However, he still didn't want to hurt the one he loved. Focusing his own natural blue chakra, he strengthened the Rasengan, overpowering Sasuke's Chidori.

Sasuke's chakra was low, so he couldn't stand up to the powered-up Rasengan. The Uchiha flew backwards, landing on the ground, hitting his head, which caused him to black out.

The blond panted, and immediately went to the unconscious boy's side. He checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one. The Uchiha also was breathing evenly which meant he would be okay. He sat Sasuke up, and studied his face. He looked so peaceful, and it caused Naruto to smile. Naruto hugged him, and held him close.

Blue eyes glanced around the silent forest. The only thing moving was the falling rain. Deeming it to be safe, Naruto leaned forward and kissed Sasuke, heart pounding wildly in his chest.

"Couldn't resist." he whispered to the boy, although he knew Sasuke couldn't hear him. "I love you, Sasuke, and I will always love you. Please don't forget that."

Naruto looked at the heavens above, and the rain that finally seemed to be letting up. That was a good sign. Maybe it meant things would get better eventually. Perhaps the sky was being kind to him and he wondered idly if it cared about what was going on before scooping up Sasuke and walking back home.

_No. It probably doesn't care, but it would be nice if it did..._


	11. Chapter 10: The Way Things Are

Author's note: Hi, everybody! Yeah, I'm fully aware that I took forever to update. I'm really sorry about that, and I wanted to update sooner but I was having lots of trouble writing this chapter. You see, I wasn't able to properly organize my thoughts until recently and I wasn't happy with anything that didn't express exactly what I wanted to say. Thank you all for being so patient with me! I appreciate it more than words can express. In addition, thanks to all the wonderful readers who added this story to alerts and faves! You guys rock! To my wondrous reviewers: You know something? You are the absolute best! You give the greatest reviews ever! They're always so insightful, helpful, and just pure awesomeness! A thousand thank yous aren't enough to express my gratitude, but I'll keep on saying thanks anyway. So… Thank you! Alright, I'd better stop blathering before people start tossing flaming projectiles at me for not shutting up sooner. Please read and let me know what you think by submitting a review! Let's go, everybody!

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I did not own Naruto. I'll check again later, but it is doubtful my ownership status will have changed.

Chapter 10: The Way Things Are

Kakashi winced as he heard Tsunade slam her fist against her desk. He was currently outside her office, hesitating at the door. She was currently talking to someone and sounded especially angry today. The jounin glanced at the mission report he held. _Maybe_ _now isn't the time..._he thought nervously. He turned and was about to tip-toe away, when he heard,"Damn it, Kakashi! Quit screwing around outside!"

Uh-oh. Too late to turn back now...

Kakashi opened the door and stepped inside to see Tsunade screaming at Sasuke. The raven-haired boy looked like he had a migraine.

"You idiot! How could you break Kiba's wrist? What the fuck is wrong with you?" The Hokage demanded to know. Tsunade had learned about the incident at Ino's party from Sakura, who had taken Kiba to the hospital and been required to fill out a medical report for him. As you can imagine, Tsunade wasn't happy too hear it, especially when she found out what happened to Naruto.

At first, Sasuke didn't reply. Instead he rubbed his temples, glaring at her. He had a hangover from Hell and being screamed at was only worsening his already-bad disposition. "Kiba asked for it." was all he said.

Tsunade whacked the desk again. "What? You expect me to believe that shit?" She looked even angrier before saying, "Did Naruto ask for the shuriken in his back?"

Sasuke looked guilty for a second before saying, "No. Naruto is a moron and shouldn't have interfered. Besides, you should be happy I only broke Kiba's wrist. I could've easily done a lot more damage."

This response only enraged Tsunade further. She took out her fury out on her desk, axe kicking it and snapping it in half. Wood splinters shot out, stabbing into the carpet, narrowly missing Sasuke, who seemed unaffected by this display of wrath. Kakashi knew this situation was getting more and more dangerous by the second and wanted to leave the room, but he was rooted to the spot by his morbid curiosity. He wanted to see if Tsunade would actually fight Sasuke, or because of how furious she was, throw the Uchiha out the window.

The office was silent, until Sasuke smirked and said, "You know, you have some serious anger issues. That isn't healthy for someone your age. You could have a heart attack or stroke."

"UCHIHA!" Tsunade roared, lunging at the boy. She leapt over the broken desk, and tried to punch Sasuke, but he avoided her attack. He smirked at Kakashi, who watched the scene, very entertained.

While continuing to evade the attacks from the belligerent Hokage, Sasuke glanced at the large window behind Tsunade's chair. The blonde woman noticed this and said, "You wouldn't dare..."

The Uchiha didn't reply, only smirked as he went towards the window...

To Kakashi's amusement, Sasuke waved at both Tsunade and him, and then jumped out the window, breaking it, and leaving a trail of broken glass behind him as he sailed through the air and landed rather elegantly on the ground three-stories down. Both Tsunade and Kakashi rushed to the window, watching him. After he landed, Sasuke brushed himself off casually as a small crowd formed and openly gawked at him. Then he walked off nonchalantly, like nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.

"Damn brat!" Tsunade swore, grabbing her chair and flinging it out the window, hoping to hit Sasuke. It flew far, but not far enough to hit him. The chair crashed into the ground, scaring all the innocent bystanders. They scattered quickly, praying that their Hokage wasn't going to throw her whole office out the window.

Back in the office, Tsunade paced the room angrily."Damn Sasuke! He's such a bastard! I don't know how Naruto could be his friend, let alone be in love with him. It's absolutely ridiculous!" She muttered to herself, forgetting about Kakashi entirely. She opened a cabinet and rummaged around it before removing a bottle of sake, which she opened and drank.

Kakashi blinked in mild surprise. He wanted to know what was going on and why the Hokage was so angry, but first...

"Here is my surveillance report on the rogue shinobi from Amegakure." he said, handing her his mission report. Tsunade rolled her eyes, and took the paper and threw it on the demolished desk. "I'll look at it later. Right now, I'm taking a much needed break." She replied, sitting on the floor drinking her sake.

"Um, Tsunade-sama?"

"What now, Kakashi?"

"About Sasuke... What exactly did he do to make you so mad?"

Tsunade looked irritated once again. "That damn brat is causing trouble and I'm sick of it." She sighed, "Sometimes I think he's more trouble than he's worth, but if Naruto's happy because of him, I guess it's alright." She paused, thinking about it. "Maybe...I don't know..."

Kakashi was confused. Tsunade was beginning to ramble. "Yes, but what happened?" he asked again, hoping for a clearer response.

An annoyed sigh greeted his inquiry. It was obvious that Tsunade didn't feel like answering any questions, but she finally did respond, "Well, Kakashi, if you want to know so badly, I recommend asking Sasuke yourself. I know only half of the story anyway." She took a sip from her sake before adding, "That will be your new mission. Get information and report your findings back to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Those are your orders!" Tsunade growled at him. Kakashi didn't protest. Instead, he was just interested in what he would find out. In addition, Kakashi had been meaning to talk to Sasuke, but never had the opportunity. Now seemed like the perfect time. He bowed slightly to the village leader and said, "Yes, Hokage-sama." The jounin walked out of the office, leaving Tsunade alone.

After Kakashi had gone, Tsunade got up and retrieved the mission report, hesitating. She knew that Konoha's relationship with Ame wasn't very strong, and it was likely to worsen, especially with rogue shinobi starting trouble. It was this reason why she was so angry lately. The worry about the situation was nerve-wracking and anything would cause her to fly off the handle, and that was why she had been berating Sasuke so harshly. Tsunade didn't want or need to deal with anymore problems, especially one so minor compared to a possible war with another hidden village.

Tsunade took a breath to calm her nerves before reading the report. Her eyes widened in alarm. A group of at least five shinobi from Ame was planning something against Konoha. According to the intelligence Kakashi gathered, they wanted to attack Konoha, which would provoke a counter attack against Ame. The leader of Ame would have no knowledge of the rogues' actions, and would assume that Konoha had attacked the village out of nowhere and would inform other villages, which would be divided over the issue and begin to fight amongst themselves, ultimately leading to a declaration of war. And once again, another Shinobi War would start.

However, there was one bright spot amongst the gloom. The rogue ninjas' plans were still in the early stages and they were facing difficulties organizing things. Tsunade felt that if she sent an elite shinobi to sabotage them, inform Ame and have them capture their own rogue shinobi, then a war would easily be avoided and this problem would be resolved. Whoever she sent would need to be extremely skilled and willing to do whatever was needed to help protect Konoha and leave no later than Friday. Today was Sunday, so she needed to have someone picked out by tomorrow to fill them in on the situation and give them time to prepare.

"Shizune!" Tsunade called. The brunette woman appeared at the office doorway.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune said. She looked at the destroyed desk, broken window, and missing chair, but wasn't too surprised. She knew about the Hokage's level of stress.

"I need you to gather all the files of our best shinobi and bring them to me immediately. This is top priority and takes precedence over all other tasks." she explained.

Shizune nodded affirmatively, "Understood. I'll get them now." She left quickly to retrieve the requested documents.

Tsunade sighed and took another drink of her sake. She needed to think of the best possible person for this mission. Several likely candidates popped into her head, but one name in particular gave her the most confidence and inspired the most faith that things would be fine. She only hoped that he would accept this task...

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Surprise was evident on Sasuke's face as he listened to the ANBU speak. "Good job, kiddo. Today's your last day of community service." She handed him a trash bag, and gestured around her, "Just pick up all the trash throughout Konoha and you'll finally be done!"

He blinked, still not believing her, "How is that possible?"

The ANBU's mask concealed her face, but it was obvious that she was smiling. Her cheerful tone gave that away. "Simple. You've done nothing but good since you came back, and most of us ANBU and several jounin have all decided that there's no point in keeping an eye on you anymore. Since you're such a good little worker, you've also completed everything that needs to be done so there's no point in bugging you on a daily basis."

"Then, that's it?"

"Well, not quite. If the village elders or the Hokage were to ask you to do something, you're still obligated to do it. However, you won't have anything like trash duty." She paused, thinking about it. "Unless, it's a just low-ranking mission. Then you'll need to do it, obviously." The Uchiha nodded in understanding, but he still had one more question. "Why are you so happy and perky? It isn't very professional for an ANBU."

"I know, but as an ANBU, I don't get to give good news to people very often. When I do, I can't help but be happy, even if the news doesn't concern me." she answered. Sasuke gave her a look that suggested he thought that her reason was odd. Noticing this, she continued, "I've always thought that seeing others happy was more important than seeing yourself happy. I know it sounds weird, but in the long run, I think it's better. "

Sasuke said nothing, but thought of Naruto. That sounded like something he'd agree with.

Another ANBU appeared, and signaled for her to follow him. She nodded, and informed Sasuke. "OK. I need to go now and let you get started. I bet you're eager to finally be finished with your debt to society." The ANBU turned and walked off. "Later, kiddo. Keep yourself out of trouble!"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Trash pickup was a simple assignment. It required minimal effort and presented no real difficulty. However, the only problem with easy tasks like that is that it gives one time to think about anything and everything. More specifically, something they'd rather not think about, such as getting drunk and making an ass of yourself in more ways than one.  
Sasuke was currently thinking such thoughts and it was making him feel guilty because it reminded him that he had told Naruto that he hated him, and worst of all, he forgot what happened afterward and what Naruto had said in reply. It was very important to Sasuke to remember because he wanted to know if Naruto really thought his harsh words were true, even though they weren't.

In Sasuke's drunken fit of stupidity, he had lied when he said that he hated Naruto. He had only said that because of his frustration with his current marriage situation and the fact that it had destroyed any chance of him and Naruto being together. Declaring his undying hatred was Sasuke's way of trying to increase the distance between them, and convince himself that hating the blond was better than loving him because love causes nothing but problems. It was especially true if you loved someone who was only supposed to be your friend...

"Damn it all! Why does everything have to be so complicated?" Sasuke said, dragging the half-full trash bag behind him, and kicking an innocent rock out of his path.

"What's so complicated?" politely inquired a voice.

Dark eyes widened, startled. They narrowed in irritation when they saw the speaker. "What do you want, Kakashi?"

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "I just want to talk to you for a bit."

"No. Now go away." Sasuke replied, picking up his pace and trying to get away from his former sensei. Kakashi followed him, intent on completing his mission. The jounin chuckled as he pulled out an Icha Icha book, "It's amazing how little you've changed over the years."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "That's not amazing. What is amazing is you and your constant need to read porn."

"For your information, I don't _need_ to read porn. I _want_ to read it. There's a big difference, you know."

"Hn."

"Anyway, I wanted to speak to you seriously." Kakashi said, putting away his book. He wanted to show the Uchiha that he was going to give him his full attention. Sasuke noticed, but still wasn't interested in talking to anyone. "I'm busy."

"I can see that." Kakashi replied dryly. Trash pickup was ridiculously simple and he knew that Sasuke was just being stubborn and anti-social. It reminded the jounin of the twelve year old kid that he had originally met all those years ago. "If you just answer a couple of questions, I'll be on my way."

"What part of 'No' do you not understand?" Sasuke asked, irritated. He picked up an empty bottle and tossed it in his bag. _Damn Kakashi... If only I could get rid of him so easily._  
While they had been talking, the two of them had wandered into the park. It was nearly empty, except for a few passers-by. "This looks like a perfect place to talk." Kakashi observed, and strolled over to a nearby bench. He sat down and gestured to the spot next to him. "Have a seat, Sasuke."

"No." Sasuke folded his arms, signaling he was firm in his resolve not to talk.

"Is that your word of the day or something?"

"No."

"Fine. If you want to be like that, then I'll have no choice but to follow you all day long. If you still won't talk, I'll follow you tomorrow too, and the next day. And the day after that..."  
"Alright! I get the point." Sasuke stalked angrily over to Kakashi and sat down on the bench.

He glared at the jounin. "Are you happy now?"

Kakashi appeared to think it over,"Hmm... Not as happy as I thought I'd be."

"Burn in hell, Kakashi!"

"Really, Sasuke... Must you be so foul-tempered all the time? I don't know how Naruto puts up with you." Kakashi remarked, hoping that would provoke a telling reply from the Uchiha. Unfortunately for Kakashi, Sasuke's only reply was, "Hn."

_OK...Time for a change of tactics._ Kakashi decided mentally. "How've you been lately?"

"Annoyed."

"Interesting... How is Naruto doing?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know where Naruto's at?"

"No. I woke up on the couch today in his apartment and he was nowhere to be found. I haven't seen him since last night." Sasuke admitted, and then asked, "Why do you keep asking me about Naruto?"

"If you haven't seen him, aren't you concerned about where he could be and what he's doing?"

"No." Sasuke lied. He had spent all day wondering about where Naruto could be and was getting concerned. Of course, Kakashi didn't need to know that.

"And why not?" Kakashi prompted.

When Sasuke spoke, his tone was slow and deliberate. It was the type of voice used when pointing out the obvious to an idiot. "Because. I. Hate. Him."

There was a brief silence before a peal of laughter was heard from Kakashi. Sasuke looked at the jounin, confused. "What the hell was so funny about that?'' he asked.

Kakashi calmed down after a moment, and replied, "What you said wasn't funny. What _was_ funny was your attempt at a joke... You hating Naruto... Now that's a joke."

Sasuke was livid, "I'm not joking! I really do hate him!"

"You obviously don't hate Naruto. If you did, wouldn't you have killed him by now?" Kakashi asked, all trace of playfulness gone from his voice. "When you two came back to the village, I saw the damage you inflicted on him, and I saw the injuries he gave you. Your's were clearly done by someone who was holding back. Naruto didn't want to hurt you any more than he needed to. However, the same cannot be said about the injuries you gave him. You were obviously trying to kill him, but at the last minute, you didn't do it, and you allowed him to win and bring you back to Konoha. Why, Sasuke? If you really do hate him as much as you claim you do, then why haven't you killed him yet?"

Sasuke said nothing. He turned his face away from Kakashi, but the jounin could still see the boy's expression of anger mixed with a tinge of shameful regret. Kakashi knew what he was doing was a bit harsh, but talking kindly and sympathetically to someone like Sasuke would just end up with an irate Uchiha. This conversation needed to happen, no matter how difficult it would be.

Keeping an accusing edge in his voice, Kakashi continued, "I'm surprised you haven't hurt him yet... Or are you planning something? Is that why you've spent so much time doing community service so everyone would think you've changed and trust you again?"

The raven-haired boy had enough of this, "Shut up, Kakashi! You don't know anything. I spent so much time working like a damn dog for this stupid village so I could stay here with Naruto. He is my only reason, and I would do anything to remain by his side!" Sasuke's dark eyes gleamed with unshed tears as he spoke, "Do you know why I haven't killed him yet? It's because I can't do it! I don't want to end his life because I couldn't stand live in a world without him."

"You love him, don't you?" Kakashi asked softly, surprised by the boy's honesty.

"I don't think I'm _madly_ in love with him or anything, but it's very likely I'm possibly _mildly_ in love with him." He sighed in disappointment, "It doesn't matter what I feel. Naruto probably hates me anyway, especially after last night."

Kakashi's visible eye widened, "What did you two do last night?" His question had a suggestive tone to it.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "It's nothing like _that_, you pervert. If you read something other than porn once in a while, you'd realize that."

"Oh... Then what happened?"

Kakashi listened attentively as Sasuke recounted the events at Ino's party, paying special attention to whatever he could remember about the fight in the forest afterward. Kakashi noticed the boy's guilty tone, and felt bad for him. It was obvious that by hurting Naruto, Sasuke had hurt himself.

Once the Uchiha was done elaborating on the previous night's events, Kakashi shook his head. "Sasuke, when will you learn that we always hurt the ones we love?"

"I've never understood that expression. If you love someone, why would you hurt them?" he replied, and then added with a bitter smile, "But that's never stopped me from hurting Naruto. I've hurt him in so many different ways over the years. In a way, I'd almost prefer him to hate me. After everything that's happened, I would deserve it."

"I won't deny that, but I don't believe that Naruto hates you. In fact, I'm absolutely sure that he would never hate you." Kakashi said, remembering when Naruto had confessed his love for Sasuke to Tsunade. It was obvious that Naruto's feelings would remain for a long time, if not forever. It saddened the jounin that he couldn't tell this to Sasuke, just to let him know that his feelings weren't one-sided, but Kakashi had promised, and promise is a promise, after all.

"How can you be so sure of that, Kakashi?" Sasuke finally asked. It seemed as though he really wanted to believe the jounin.

"He isn't the type to hate anyone. You should know that better than anyone else." Sasuke didn't look satisfied with this answer. "If you don't believe me, then you should ask him yourself." Kakashi added.

"I wanted to start looking for him after I woke up, but I didn't get the opportunity because an ANBU showed up to escort me to the Hokage's office."

Kakashi laughed, remembering the meeting, "Yeah... That's where you pissed off Tsunade and jumped out the window."

Sasuke smirked, "Hn...It was either me jumping out the window or fighting her. I'm sure I could've fought her, but I would have been arrested after I won."

"Of course you would have. She is our Hokage after all." Kakashi said, but was still impressed with Sasuke's confidence. He smiled beneath his mask, "Don't worry, Sasuke. I think everything will work out between Naruto and you."

"You don't know that for sure."

"No, but that's just the way things are. What more can I say?"

"Hn." was Sasuke's only reply. He stood up from the bench, signaling his want to leave.

"Hold on a minute, Sasuke. I'm almost done." Kakashi told him, aware that the raven-haired boy wanted to leave.

Sasuke didn't sit back down, but tapped his foot impatiently. "Make it quick. I've wasted too much time already."

Kakashi shifted in his seat, trying to get more comfortable on the wooden bench. "Are you angry at Naruto?"

"For what?"

"Everything. Being sent to prison for a few days, getting assigned so much community service, and... "Kakashi hesitated before adding the last one, "Getting married. All of it is to prove your loyalty to the village. If Naruto hadn't brought you back, then you wouldn't have needed to deal with any of that."

"Yes. I am angry, but not at Naruto. He just wanted to bring me back, and like always, didn't consider the possible outcomes of his actions. He was just doing what he felt was right." Sasuke smiled slightly, "Naruto never gave up on me..." It was a comforting thought to him.

Kakashi was confused, "Then who are you angry at?"

"Myself. I should be angry at Naruto, but I can't do it. The worst part is that I don't think I ever will be angry with him. In short, I'm angry with myself for not being able to be angry at Naruto."  
Kakashi chuckled, "I swear, you have the weirdest reasoning."

"Hn."

Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "Don't worry, Sasuke. I'm sure things will work out between you two. You just need to have a little faith that they will."

Sasuke shook his head, "They won't work out the way I want them to, but it's not like what I want matters."

"That's where you're wrong. It really does matter. If you know what you want, then you can work to get at it."

Sasuke looked skeptical. Kakashi sighed, "Fine. Since you insist on being such a pessimist today, think of it like this: if it's meant to be, then it'll happen, one way or another. If not..." Kakashi shrugged. "Then it won't happen. Simple, don't you think?"

"I suppose... Can I go now?"

"Yes. Thanks for the chat."

"Hn." Sasuke picked up his trash bag, and walked off with it. After he had put some distance between him and Kakashi, the jounin's voice was heard, "Hey Sasuke!"

The Uchiha stopped, listening. "I saw Naruto earlier today as I was getting back from my mission at around six o'clock in the morning. He was in good spirits, and told me that he was going on a mission and would be back later. I know you're worried about him, so I just thought I'd let you know."

Sasuke turned around, annoyed with his former sensei, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Kakashi pulled out an Icha Icha as he replied, "Aren't you the one who told me you didn't care?" he glanced at Sasuke from the top of his book, "Even so, I'm still glad you do."

"Hn...Thank you, Kakashi." Sasuke turned on his heels and left.

The jounin smiled, and tried to return his attention to his book. He quickly found that he couldn't. Even though he had completed his mission, he couldn't help but feel a little depressed as he replayed Sasuke's words in his head. The jounin wondered if Sasuke would ever realize Naruto's love for him. Despite the fact that circumstances seemed intent in keeping them apart, Kakashi certainly hoped so...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Hinata walked through Konoha, carrying a bag of groceries with Akamaru tagging at her heels. The dog hadn't left her side since her disastrous meeting with Kiba and she hadn't seen the father of her child at all since then. Thinking about that day was very upsetting for the girl and she relied heavily on Akamaru's presence. He had been a great comfort to her, and enabled her to feel as though she wasn't entirely alone.

As Hinata walked home, her thoughts strayed to what she would tell Sasuke about the baby. He would already know that the child was not his, but his reaction was worrying. She didn't know her future husband well enough to assume what he would say or do. All she could do was hope for the best. Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice where she was going and bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" she said, bowing to the person. Her bangs covered her eyes and obscured her view.

"Hn...It's nothing." said the person. His voice was so familiar...

Hinata quickly looked up. It was Sasuke, "Please forgive me, Sasuke-san! I wasn't paying attention and -"

Sasuke held up his hand, signaling her to stop. "Like I said, it's nothing. Don't worry about it, Hinata." He knelt down and picked up a hairbrush off the ground. He held it to her, "Your's?"

Hinata nodded, taking from him,"Y-yeah. It must have fallen out of my bag when I bumped into you. Thank you."  
The Uchiha just nodded, his gaze on Akamaru. "I didn't know you had a dog."

"Oh! That's Kiba's dog. I'm just looking after him for a while." Hinata replied quickly. She decided to change the subject, "What are you doing around here, Sasuke-san?"

"Community service. I just finished my last assignment."

"That's good.'' She shifted uncomfortably with her groceries, not knowing what else to say. Sasuke noticed, then asked, "Would you like me to carry your groceries home? I need to go past your house to get to the Uchiha district, so it's not out of my way."

Hinata was surprised. "Um...O-okay. If that's what you want to do, then I don't see why not." She handed him her bag, and lead the way back to the Hyuuga home. Akamaru followed them dutifully.

Once they arrived in the yard, Neji came out to greet them. The Hyuuga raised an eyebrow in surprise at seeing Sasuke being helpful to his cousin, "Good afternoon, Sasuke. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

''I wasn't expecting to be here either, but I bumped into Hinata, and decided to escort her home."

Neji nodded in approval, "That was very courteous and responsible of you."

"Neji-nii-san, can you inform my mother that I've returned home?" Hinata requested. She needed to talk to Sasuke and decided that now was the best time.

"Of course, Hinata." Neji replied and disappeared back into the house. Hinata glanced at Sasuke, who looked as impassive as ever. He looked back at her. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Y-yeah. I need to talk to you." She walked to the porch and sat down. "Please have a seat, Sasuke-san."  
He did as he was told, and handed her back her groceries. She set them aside, and took a deep breath, "As you are fully aware, our wedding is on Friday. I feel that we should start our relationship off with honesty."  
Sasuke was going to reply, but was interrupted by a voice that was unfamiliar to him.

"Hinata-chan! I haven't seen you in ages!" cried a woman with long spikey brown hair and a feral appearance. A black dog that resembled a wolf followed behind her. "Greetings, Hinata-chan." the dog said. Sasuke noticed that it wore an eye patch and had a torn ear. Not exactly your average dog...

"Hello, Tsume-sama, and Kuromaru-san." Hinata said, waving at them. She smiled, "What are you doing here?"  
The woman, Tsume Inuzuka, grinned. "I wanted to see how you're doing and I need to talk to Hiashi." For the first time, she noticed Sasuke, "Who are you?"

"Sasuke Uchiha. I'm the one who is supposed to marry Hinata." he replied.  
"Yes, I've heard of you. I'm sure my son, Kiba, has mentioned you at some point. I'm Tsume Inuzuka. Pleased to meet you."

"Hn."

To his surprise, Tsume didn't look mad at the Uchiha's reply. Often, people didn't consider "Hn." to be a proper response. Instead, she smiled and addressed Hinata, "Congratulations, Hinata-chan. He is certainly very handsome, but seems to be lacking a personality."

Sasuke merely smirked._ Hn...That was actually pretty good_, he thought.

"Anyway, where's your father at, Hinata-chan? I have something very important to speak with him about."

Hinata pointed to the left side of the house, "Last time I saw him, Father was in the garden in the backyard. If you go around the side of the house, you'll find him.''

"You're as polite as ever, Hinata-chan. That's nice to know." Tsume commented, and looked at Akamaru who was dozing in the grass. The woman felt a stab of shame. Her son was supposed to be here, but he was too much of an idiot,"Please take care of Akamaru. I know he'll take care of you."

The Hyuuga heiress was quiet for a moment before saying, "Yes, I know. Thank you, Tsume-sama."  
Tsume nodded, "You're welcome." she sighed softly, a sad look in her eyes before adding, "If you ever need anything, no matter what it is, come to me, and I'll do everything in my power to help you."

Hinata bit her lip and didn't meet the woman's eyes. Tsume waved bye to the teens and left towards the back garden. Kuromaru didn't follow. Instead, he sat down in the sunshine, enjoying the warmth on his fur.

"I didn't know that you were so close to Kiba's mother." Sasuke said, noticing both Tsume and Hinata's reactions while they spoke to each other.

She took a breath, trying to determine the best way to say what she needed to. "Yes. I think she's a great mom and I admire her strength. I got to know her well when I was dating her son. Kiba-kun is the youngest in his family and she is very protective of him. Naturally, she wanted to get to know me. At first, I thought she was a little intimidating, but she always does what's right and she's really loyal to anyone she loves." Hinata looked at Sasuke before adding,

"Right now, I'm trying to do what's right."

"And what would that be?" he asked, but felt as though he was about to get some important news.

"Sasuke-san, I'm pregnant."

Silence.

Sasuke looked at her, studying her carefully. She looked scared, but there was a faint undertone of happiness to both her voice and facial features. He thought about her news, rolling it around in his mind for a few moments, then came to a decision of how he would react. "Congratulations, Hinata. I'm sure you're already aware of this, but I'm not the father."

Pale lavender eyes widened, "Wait... You're not angry?"

"I have no reason to be. You were entitled to having a life before I came back to Konoha, and you were honest about the whole situation. I'm sure that many other women would lie about something like that, but you didn't." he shrugged, "Your condition isn't exactly shocking. Pregnancies occur all the time."

"You still want to marry me?" she asked, shocked with how calm he was.

"Honestly, no, but I have no choice. I'm sure you'd rather not marry me either. You'd rather marry Kiba. He is your child's father."

"How did you -?" Hinata couldn't finish her question. She was too stunned.

"I know from how you and Tsume were acting towards one another, and the way you were when you were talking about Kiba." He smirked," Besides, you don't seem to be a slut who doesn't know which random guy knocked her up."  
Hinata just blinked. She thought Sasuke wouldn't know what to do, but _he_ was handling this well, and _she_ didn't know what to do. Finally, she thought of something to say to him, "Sasuke-san, is there someone whom you would like to marry?"

Sasuke smiled faintly,"Yeah... I think there's one person whom I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with."

Hinata was happy to hear his reply, "I'm glad you feel that way. It's rare to find such a person. May I ask who it is?"

"All you need to know is that it's somebody who I've known for years and never truly appreciated until recently. I failed to realize what I had felt for years and now I don't think l have a chance at all."

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that, Sasuke-san. I'm sure you already know this, but life is often unfair. We don't have any choice when it comes to certain things, but I guess we can try to work with what we get, even if it's not what we want." Hinata said, referencing their upcoming nuptuals. Sasuke realized that she was resigned to her fate as his wife and had even developed a calm acceptance of what was to be. That acceptance revealed her inner strength and willingness to do what was deemed neccesary, even if it went against her own wishes.

"Hinata, why did you agree to this wedding? You didn't need to."

"I know. Like you, I was pressured into it." Hinata admitted. She glanced around to make sure nobody was around. Deeming the area safe from prying ears, she spoke in a whisper, "My father told me to agree. He wouldn't say why, but I overheard him speaking to the village elders a few days after you came back to Konoha. They mentioned something about an agreement between them and my father. Afterwards, Father made me feel guilty about saying no to the wedding. He kept telling me how it would be my fault if you were executed because I said that I wouldn't marry you. Eventually, I just agreed to appease him."

For a moment, Sasuke sat in shocked silence thinking about all Hinata had revealed regarding her acceptance of the marriage. The Uchiha felt a familiar anger associated whenever the village elders were mentioned. Once again, they were messing with him by manipulating others into doing what they wanted. The elders were nothing but a pair of conniving bastards who assumed that they would do whatever they wanted without consequences. They needed a very harsh reality check, ASAP.

"Hinata, have any of the village elders spoken with your father recently?"

The Hyuuga heiress shook her head, "No, they haven't come here directly, but my father has been called to their office a few times."

Sasuke nodded, knowing what that meant. If they were planning something with Hiashi helping them, they clearly couldn't be obvious about it. Lost in his thoughts, Sasuke failed to notice Hinata asking him something.

"Sasuke-san?" she called, lightly tugging on his shirt sleeve to get his attention.

"What?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but there's one thing I want to ask you. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I'd like to know for sure." She tucked her hair behind her ears, getting nervous, "I heard about what happened at Ino's party yesterday, namely you and Kiba-kun's altercation. What did he say to provoke you?"

"It was nothing. He just said how things were way better when I wasn't in Konoha, and implied that no one would give shit about a traitorous son of a bitch like me. It was something to that effect."

Hinata gasped, shocked with how mean Kiba had been. It was no surprise that Sasuke had gone after him. If Hinata would have been there, she definitely would've slapped her former boyfriend. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. That was a terrible thing for him to say!"

Sasuke shrugged. "I've been told a lot worse than that. Besides, drunk people tend to say things that make them sound like inconsiderate morons. I have first-hand experience with that."

"I see... That's something few people would admit to."

"I guess, but I've said a lot today that I never thought I would. I blame having too much to drink last night. It turned my brain to mush and gave me a headache as a free bonus. Now that I think about it, I probably killed a few brain cells too. " Sasuke replied. Hinata laughed at his subtle joke as he got up from the porch, ready to go. Listening and talking to others was exhausting. He wanted to just go home, and sleep off the lingering headache.

Hinata stood too, gathering her groceries. She smiled at him, "Thank you walking me home and for your time, Sasuke-san. I'm glad you were understanding about my condition. It means a lot to me."

"Hn... Don't mention it. I was just doing what any relatively sane person would do."

Hinata laughed again and opened the door to go in her house,"Bye, Sasuke-san." She looked around at the yard, searching for Akamaru. The dog rose from his nap and glanced at her, curious. She called to him, and he responded with a pleased sounding bark. Akamaru passed by Sasuke and wagged his tail at the Uchiha, wanting to be petted. Sasuke complied, and patted the dog's head. Afterward, Akamaru bounded away to follow Hinata as she went into the house.

It was quiet in the yard, except for the sounds of leaves rustling in the wind and occasional bird chirping. Sasuke listened to the sounds of nature, enjoying it, until he heard swearing from the backyard. The Uchiha decided to follow the sound of cussing, and crept along the leaf-strewn path to the backyard that Tsume had taken earlier. Careful to avoid being noticed, he didn't make a sound as he leaned against the house and peered around the corner to watch Tsume and Hiashi argue. In all honesty, he didn't particularly care what the clan leaders were talking about, but was curious nonetheless.

"Hiashi, you son of a bitch! How can you agree to something like that?" Tsume yelled, eyes blazing with anger.  
Hiashi scoffed at her, "Does rudeness run in your family? I've never seen such ill-mannered rogues in my entire life."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She demanded to know, her fingers curling into fists.

"Your son was foul-mouthed too. Your whole clan is remarkably uncouth." He replied, feeling an air of superiority over her.

"You asshole! You can make fun of me, but don't you dare insult my kids!" Tsume snapped. Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched Tsume punch Hiashi. The Hyuuga blocked her attack, and caught her arm. She attacked with her other fist, but he caught the attack again. Hiashi gripped her arms tightly as she tried to struggle. He leaned forward and smirked at Tsume, who snarled at him. "Your weak attacks are no match for me." He said, taunting her. She growled, and slammed her forehead into his face, head butting him with a considerable amount of force. Hiashi released her, and clutched at his bleeding nose.

Tsume smiled, unfazed from the impact, "How was that, Hiashi-_sama_? Was that good enough to spill your precious Hyuuga blood?" she asked sarcastically.

"You bitch!"

"Heh... Serves you right for always being such a bastard. How dare you act so high and mighty towards me? We share a grandchild, you jackass!" Tsume said, sounding more angry than hurt.  
Hiashi didn't say anything, only trying to stem the blood flow from his nose. Tsume continued, using a slightly calmer voice, "Hiashi, you can't control everything. Can't you let Hinata-chan make her own decisions? Do you realize that you're keeping a father from his child by allowing this marriage to go forth? How can you do that?" she spoke softer as she asked him one more question, "Don't you care if your oldest daughter is happy?"

The man looked away, but tried to be unaffected by her words. Being as prideful as he was, Hiashi couldn't let Tsume know how guilty he was beginning to feel. Hinata's happiness was more important than siding with the elders for more influence in the village, wasn't it? Hiashi knew the right answer, but the allure of more power was still tempting...  
"Leave my property, Tsume. I don't want to continue this conversation any longer." Hiashi stated, blood dripping from his face onto his shirt. Tsume rolled her eyes at him. "Leave, huh? You talk a big game about being so noble and strong, but when it really matters, you chicken out."

"Leave now!" Hiashi ordered, raising his voice and activating his Byakugan in anger.

Tsume turned away. "Fine, Hiashi. Your unreasonable behavior is making me sick. Hinata-chan is such a sweet girl. I don't know why she was given to you as a daughter. You don't deserve such a good kid." With that remark, the Inuzuka walked away, being sure to trample the flowers in the garden on the way out. Hiashi frowned, and didn't comment on her actions or cold words. The last thing he needed was another conflict with the Inuzuka clan leader. Hiashi had found out the hard way that Tsume was very bull-headed, both literally and figuratively.

Hearing Tsume's footsteps approaching as she wrecked the flora, Sasuke darted away from where he was and proceeded to leave the Hyuuga property as quickly as possible. No one noticed his eavesdropping or swift departure...

At least, no human noticed. Kuromaru, Tsume's faithful canine companion, had heard everything and been paying attention to Sasuke in particular while sun bathing. The wolf-dog knew exactly what was going on, and wasn't surprised to see his master so angry.

"That man is impossible! Hiashi Hyuuga is the biggest jerk in the world!" Tsume declared to the dog as they walked home through the village together.

Kuromaru nodded, "Yes, he can be a real pain in the tail."

"No, he's a lot worse than that!"

"I know, Tsume-sama." the dog said, trying to calm her down. The two of them traveled in silence for a while, and then Kuromaru decided to speak, "Tsume-sama?"

"What is it, Kuromaru?" she asked sharply, still angry with Hiashi and how their meeting went.

"Tsume-sama, do you remember talking to that Uchiha boy?"

She nodded,"Yeah. What about him?"

"He's actually a decent kid."

The woman stopped, looking Kuromaru in his single eye. "Are you trying to say that I'm being unreasonable by being opposed to this wedding?" She asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Kuromaru shook his head, and spoke, "No. I believe that he may be willing to help you. The Uchiha boy doesn't wish to marry Hinata-chan."

"What? Is she not good enough for him?" Tsume cried, outraged. She was sick and tired of dealing with people who came from supposedly noble clans thinking they were better than everyone.

"You need to stop interrupting me." the wolf-dog growled at her, then continued, "Apparently, Uchiha wants someone else. He didn't say who, but I could tell that he was sincere. In addition, he now knows about the Hinata-chan carrying Kiba's child. Uchiha wasn't mad and even congratulated Hinata-chan."

"Really? He doesn't seem all that nice. "

"He is distant, but polite. He even made a few jokes and was kind to Akamaru." Kuromaru said.  
Tsume's surprise overshadowed her irritation with Hiashi. "That's odd. I knew that boy's father and several other Uchiha. None of them were very sociable." She paused, thinking it over, "I guess he really is in love with someone. You know what they say, love changes people. It even gives some people a heart, allowing them to care about others, and not just themselves."

"Just to let you know, if he does end up marrying Hinata-chan, I believe that he will be a good husband." Kuromaru felt Tsume's glare on him. He knew that she didn't like the idea. "I wasn't supporting the union, just stating the facts." He explained, trying to placate her.

Tsume sighed loudly, pushing her brown bangs out of her eyes, "I think you're right, but what did you mean by him helping me?"

The wolf-dog tilted his head, thinking about the best way to explain without making his partner upset, "Tsume-sama, I wasn't implying that I had a plan or anything to stop the wedding, but if there was one, Uchiha would be a strong ally to have on your side. My advice to you would be to keep your head clear, and not fighting with Hiashi Hyuuga anymore. It just makes the Inuzuka clan look bad."

Tsume snorted, "Our reputation is the last thing on my mind, but it's already shot to hell because my idiot son wants to be a coward and avoid his responsibilities to Hinata-chan. I can't believe he would just abandon her like his own father left him, Hana, and me."

"It's a shame what happened, Tsume-sama. Still, you can't dwell on the past. Instead, always look to the future." Kuromaru replied. He glanced at his partner to see a sad look in her eyes. This whole situation was clearly hurting her, no matter how hard she wanted to hide it. The wolf-dog wasn't surprised, though. Tsume had always been like that, trying to keep a brave face although she was torn up inside. She had every reason to feel bad. Her only son had just told her that he got a girl pregnant and now that girl was marrying another boy. To Tsume, the absolute worst part was the fact that Kiba said that he loved Hinata, but had decided to give up on her and their child completely. It was very heartbreaking to Tsume. She could never imagine why Kiba would do such a cruel thing to himself, Hinata, each of their families, and the innocent unborn baby.

The two resumed their walk home, Tsume looking more and more forlorn with each step, and Kuromaru thinking of something to say and try to make her feel as though everything wasn't completely hopeless. After a few seconds of thought, he got an idea, "Tsume-sama." The woman merely sighed, acknowledging him. He continued, "You remember the Uchiha clan, right? As I recall, they were a crafty bunch, always able to get out of trouble during missions. When things looked bleak, they found a way to make things work."

"So what?"

"That kind of resourcefulness seems to be hereditary to them. What makes you think the last Uchiha would be any different? I believe that he will find a way to figure this marriage problem out in such a way that it will benefit all involved. "

A small smile formed on the Inuzuka's face as the wolf-dog's words sunk in. It was a long shot, but it was their only shot, especially since it offered at least a glimmer of hope. Tsume petted Kuromaru's head, running her hand over his torn ear in gratitude. "Thanks, Kuromaru. You're the only man I can really count on."

The wolf-dog wagged his tail, happy that Tsume's mood had improved, "I'm quite obviously not a man, but you can count on me nonetheless. You just need to trust that things will be alright. In the end, that's all we can do."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\_  
_

_Eight-year-old Sasuke was walking on a single path down a deserted road. Despite the solitude, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was expecting someone to join him. Sure enough, as he approached the fork in the road, he met up with someone he hadn't seen in a long time. Sasuke smiled, "Hey big brother!"  
Itachi Uchiha smiled slightly at his younger sibling, "Sasuke, it's been a while, hasn't it?"  
_

_"Yeah." Sasuke replied, looking around curiously. "Why are you here, Itachi? Shouldn't you be with Mother and Father?"  
_

_Itachi shook his head, "No, Sasuke. Right now, I need to help you."  
_

_"With what?" asked the youngest Uchiha.  
_

_"Selecting your path through life." Itachi responded. The older Uchiha gestured to the two paths before them. The path on the left lead towards a village and had a gate that was wide open, welcoming any travelers. It was also paved smooth, guaranteeing an easy trip. The path on the right was the exact opposite. The gates were shut tightly. Vines wound around the bars of the gate and looked as though they hadn't been disturbed in years. Beyond the gates was a wild path that ran through the forest. It was lined with beautiful flowers and was undisturbed by anyone. The path would clearly be difficult to travel, but Sasuke felt as though it would be worth it, although he had no evidence to prove this.  
_

_Sasuke frowned. "Why does it matter which path I pick?"  
_

_"Only one path will make you happy."  
_

_"Huh? Aren't you being a little dramatic?" The boy asked. Itachi sighed, "You're young, and so I don't expect you to fully understand. That's why I'm here to provide some guidance."  
_

_Disappointment was evident on the boy's face, "Oh... You're not coming with me?"  
_

_"Sorry, Sasuke, but this is something that you need to do alone. However, you can still get some help. It is a tricky situation, after all." Itachi replied. He looked at the gates and then back at Sasuke, "Have you decided on a path yet?"  
Sasuke pointed to the left path, "That one. It looks like it's the only path I can take." he bit his lip, getting anxious, "But I don't want to go down that one! I want to go down the other one."  
_

_"Sasuke, you need to do what makes you happy."  
_

_The boy shook his head. "I can't. I was told to take this one to the village. If I don't, I'll get into big trouble." Despite his words, he headed down the path on the right, and walked to the vine-covered gate, touching the lock, "There's something special about this path. I can feel it."  
_

_Itachi joined him at the gate, "If this path calls to you, then it is where you need to go." His gaze fell on the lock, which Sasuke still touched. Itachi noticed that the boy was checking out the lock, inspecting it for any weaknesses. After a minute, Sasuke darted to the side of the road and picked up a heavy rock. He carried it back and threw it against the lock. The rock fell down harmlessly and Sasuke tried again. He kept hitting the stone against the lock until he was red in the face. Despite all his attempts, the lock remained perfectly stable. Finally, Sasuke fell to his knees, exhausted. "I can't do it!" he cried, wiping tears of frustration off his cheeks.  
_

_Itachi crouched down next to him and put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, "Don't be foolish, little brother. You can do it. Start looking at the problem differently and you will find that the answer to your problem lies hidden within the problem itself." Sasuke sniffled, "What's that supposed to mean?"  
_

_"What's keeping you from going where you want? The lock, correct? You can't break the lock in a conventional way so don't waste your time trying. Instead, think of another way to get behind that gate." Itachi looked at him directly in the eyes. "I can't tell you exactly how to do it, but I will say this; you can't do it alone, Sasuke. Someone else made this problem specifically so _you _can't do anything about it. However, if _someone else _were to do something, then everything will work out as it should. You just need to find the right person to help and make the first move."  
_

_Sasuke didn't say anything, just remained motionless thinking about his brother's words. He didn't know if he could manage to go where he wanted. He turned his head and looked down the road towards the other path. "Itachi, what would be so bad about taking the other path? It looks much easier, and the village elders told me to..."  
_

_"No, Sasuke! Don't accept the way things are! You need to start finding your own happiness." Itachi's voice was full of strength and it made Sasuke look at him. He continued, "Don't lose sight of what makes you happy. Even if it seems impossible, it'll still be worth all your effort." He smiled at his younger brother and poked him in the forehead, "Please, Sasuke. Don't give up. You'll find a way to be succeed. I know you will."  
_

_With that, Itachi stood, brushing the dirt off himself. He turned around and began to walk away from Sasuke. The boy got up quickly and called to him."Itachi, where are you going?"  
_

_"It's okay, little brother. I need to go back, but I'll see you again one day. Until then, I'll be watching over you. Bye... for now." Itachi replied. The wind blew, causing Sasuke to close his eyes. When he opened them, Itachi was gone. Sasuke looked around, once again all alone. He walked back to the fork in the road, and stood there, his gaze switching between both paths, each of them promising a different life. He knew he had to make his choice and soon. Sasuke already knew what he wanted, but getting it would be hard. Itachi had given him hope, but he could still not escape a lingering sense of doubt.  
_

_A flash of movement caught Sasuke's eye and his gaze was fixed to the vine-covered gate. Someone was there, behind the locked gate. His dark eyes squinted, trying to get a better view. Although, the plants partially obstructed his view, Sasuke saw a boy with a head of spikey blond hair. It was Naruto, and the blond was peering back at him. The blond smiled and opened his mouth to speak..._

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. *.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Sasuke woke up with a start, heart pounding in his chest. He sat up panting as his eyes scanned the unfamiliar room. After a moment, he realized where he was at and why. He was on a futon in the living room of his former family home in the Uchiha district. After leaving the Hyuuga property, the raven-haired boy had decided to spend the night here. Sasuke was going to be living here soon anyway, so he decided to get used to it now.

Sasuke lay back down, his breathing patterns slowly returning to normal, reflecting on the dream that he had and trying to understand its meaning. The left road represented going through with the wedding and the right road represented getting out of it. Itachi was there because when Sasuke was a child, he had always looked to his older brother for advice when he didn't understand something. The lock on the vine-covered gate was the contract and the reason why he would likely end up marrying Hinata. The contract, like the lock, couldn't be broken by conventional means. If the dream was correct, then Sasuke would require help to break it.

A smirk appeared on the Uchiha's face. He knew of several people who didn't want to see the wedding happen, including himself. The only thing he needed now was a plan...  
Sasuke yawned, and closed his eyes, head on the pillow. He was still tired and it was too early to devise potentially life-changing plots. Just as he was falling back asleep, Sasuke heard a voice in his head, remembering the words he had heard Naruto say in his dream...  
"I love you, Sasuke, and I will always love you. Please don't forget that."

Eyes closed, Sasuke smiled. Even if it was just a figment of his imagination, it was still a wonderful thing to think about. That simple phrase was well worth any risk associated with trying to get out of his marriage contract. If he failed, the worst thing that could happen to him was being executed. However, if he succeeded, then Sasuke would be one step closer to Naruto.

With this in mind, the last Uchiha fell asleep, recalling what he had told Kakashi earlier. "He is my only reason and I would do anything to remain by his side!''

Truer words have never been spoken.


	12. Chapter 11: Wedding Day

Author's note: Hello. Oh... my... gosh... It finally happened... What, you may ask? I'll tell you... This story has over 100 reviews! When I saw that, I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and then I started squealing and jumping for joy! To me, this is so awesome! We finally did it, everyone! I'm so grateful to every single reader who stops by and has added this story to alerts and faves. Thank you so very much! Your continued support has inspired me to no end! My wonderfully awesome reviewers must receive an honorable mention. SeikaDragon, Darkflower93, Echo Uchiha, Arwenia, wingedmercury, requiems dream, Tenshi Yami- Angel of Darkness, and GrimmStalker: You guys are so awesome, you totally deserve a standing ovation for being such marvelous readers! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I truly hope that you realize how very important your input is to me. Thanks again!

**_IMPORTANT! __Please Read_:**

One more thing, I have some news relating to the future of this story. This story is coming to an end. This chapter is the first part of a two-part special event. Once both parts have been posted, there will be an epilogue, and that shall be the final chapter, bringing the total number of chapters to 14. I felt that I needed to let everybody know in advance before you read this chapter because it has a cliffhanger ending. Anyway, we're nearing the end and your reviews are very important. Please read and review to let me know what you think about this chapter!  
Alright, I'm finally done. Now then, let's rock!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I'm sure you already knew that.

Chapter 11: Wedding Day

Shizune looked up from her work as a familiar face entered the office. "Hello, Naruto!" She called, greeting the blond with a smile. Naruto grinned, "Hey. Is Baa-chan forcing you to do all her paperwork today?"

Sitting at Tsunade's desk, Shizune laughed, "No, I'm just sorting out today's missions." She moved aside a small stack of paperwork and took notice of a stray folder marked URGENT in bold red print. Shizune's smile disappeared, knowing what was contained in the folder. She left the folder on the desk, right on top so it was clearly visible.

"Is there something wrong?" Naruto asked, concerned. He couldn't help but notice the woman's reaction as she handled the folder. It was almost as if it contained something dangerous that might leap out at any minute.

Shizune shook her head. "It's nothing, really."

"OK." Naruto didn't believe her, but didn't feel like prying further. "Anyway, where's Baa-chan? She told me to come in today."

"You know how Tsunade-sama is. Like usual, she's trying to shirk her paperwork responsibility." Shizune rolled her eyes, "She told me that Tonton needed a walk and wanted to do it herself because she said that she needed some fresh air."

"Yup, that definitely sounds like something Baa-chan would do." he settled into a chair in front of the desk and grinned mischievously, "Just between you and me, I think Tsunade-baa-chan is the laziest of all the Hokages."

"I heard that, brat!" Tsunade said, appearing at the threshold.

"I know. You were supposed to." Naruto replied.

"Very funny, Naruto." Tsunade answered, walking into the office and to her usual seat. Tonton followed and made a bee-line for Shizune, who had gotten up from the desk. She crouched down and lifted up the pig, which oinked, sounding pleased to be sitting in her arms. Naruto smiled at the sight, and glanced at the desk in front of him. "Baa-chan, did you get a new desk?"

Tsunade nodded, "Yes. It was just delivered not too long ago. The old one was involved in a minor accident."

Naruto looked at her, suspicious, "Accident? What did you do, break it in half?"

"Yes, that's exactly what happened yesterday." Tsunade replied, recalling her frustration with Sasuke. Definitely not one of her finer moments as Hokage. "Anyway, don't you want to know why I called you here today?"

"Oh, yeah! What happened?"

The Hokage leaned forward, hands folded on her desk. Whenever she did that, it meant she had something very important to say. Naruto expected the worst and braced himself...

"You have a mission." She informed him.

Naruto sighed in relief, "I thought I was in lots of trouble or something terrible had happened..."

"I'm not finished. Don't you want to know what kind of mission it is?" Naruto nodded, suddenly apprehensive. Tsunade took a deep breath. When she spoke, her tone was grave, "This is an S-ranked mission. I'm sending you to Amegakure on Friday. This assignment will be dangerous. It involves surveillance, sabotage, capture, and even a little people-skills. Will you accept?"

The boy's jaw dropped, shocked. An S-ranked mission for him, a genin? Technically, he was still a genin because he had never retaken and passed the chuunin exam. Over the years, he had missed the opportunity on numerous occasions, preferring to go on missions or search for Sasuke. In all fairness, his skill level was well beyond any genin's. It was even higher than most, if not all, jounin. Still, it didn't change the fact that it was still strange...

"What's going on, Baa-chan? Isn't this something for an ANBU or jounin?"

"I'm fully aware of that. However, this is very serious and directly affects the village." She paused, thinking about it, "Possibly even the entire country..."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Is there going to be a war?"

"I don't know for sure yet. The worst-case scenario will likely result in one unless this mission is successfully completed. However, if it is a successful, there won't be a war and it's likely that Konoha will have a better friendship with Ame." The woman's brown eyes reflected her worry as she looked at Naruto, "I will ask you once again... Naruto, will you accept this mission on behalf of not only me, but all of Konoha?"

Silence dominated the room as Naruto thought about what the Hokage had told him about the mission. He knew that if he wanted to say no, Tsunade wouldn't question him and would find someone else to go in his place. However, this could be the best opportunity to really show what he could do and prove to everyone that he truly was deserving of  
being the next Hokage of Konoha.

"Baa-chan..." Naruto began. Tsunade said nothing, but her worry increased every second she awaited his final choice. Naruto smiled, determination visible in his blue eyes, "Don't worry so much. I'll do it."

Shizune gasped, holding Tonton tightly. "Naruto, this is really dangerous! Are you sure you can handle it?"

To her surprise, Tsunade laughed after hearing her question. "Really, Shizune! Don't you know who you're talking to?" The blonde asked, a genuine smile on her face. Shizune was puzzled by the Hokage's sudden cheerfulness. Tsunade continued, "This brat can handle anything. He makes the impossible happen just because he can!"

"Damn right!" Naruto agreed. He spoke confidently to the women and Tonton, erasing any doubts that they may have had. "I never go back on my word. I'll make sure that this mission is a success and keep Konoha safe from harm. Believe it!"

"I'm glad to hear it, Naruto." Tsunade said. Her gaze fell on the folder on the desk marked urgent. She passed it to the boy, "Study that file. It contains everything you need to know about the mission. You need to leave on Friday, no later than three o'clock in the afternoon. Until then, you may train or rest up. You're going to need to be at your absolute best."

Naruto nodded,"I know, Baa-chan." He flipped through pages in the file absently as a depressing thought suddenly popped into in his head, causing his smile to disappear and his heart to feel heavy. "Friday... that's when Sasuke will marry Hinata." He said softly, eyes still on the file.

Tsunade froze momentarily, remembering the wedding and Naruto's love for Sasuke. The woman sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, Naruto."

The Uzumaki looked up, meeting her eyes and saw that she pitied him. He didn't want her to feel sorry for him because she already had enough to worry about. Naruto returned his attention to the file he held, "You don't need to apologize. It's okay. I'll be fine."

Tsunade said nothing. He continued, "This is the just the way that things are. I'm not angry about the wedding because Sasuke will be moving on with his life and so will I. We'll still be friends, but right now, our lives are just going in different directions. It's okay..." Naruto stopped, unable to continue, and felt a familiar pain in his heart whenever he thought of the Uchiha. He tried to ignore it and put a smile back on his face, "What time does the wedding start anyway? I want to congratulate Sasuke and Hinata after the ceremony."

The Hokage knew that Naruto was only pretending to be happy, but decided to play along. She didn't want to see him so sad, but Naruto had already chosen to accept what was to happen. Once again, he was putting others before himself. Keeping her voice normal, Tsunade answered his question. "All guests need to present at two o'clock, and the ceremony itself is at two-thirty. At three, there will be a party to celebrate and the bride and groom will decide how long that'll last."

"Oh... I guess I'll be missing the wedding." Naruto said.

Tsunade nodded, "Yes, I suppose that's true, but you can just stop in and say hello for a minute then get ready to leave for the mission. There's no harm in that."

"Yeah..." Naruto got up from the chair, holding the mission folder. He glanced at the two women and waved bye to them, wanting to leave.

"Hold on, Naruto. What are you going to do about the wedding?" Tsunade asked him as he was heading out the door. She was worried he might act on an impulse and do something rash. Her fears disappeared when Naruto glanced back at her and she saw the expression in the boy's eyes. She saw the familiar strength and resolve that he always had in  
times of trouble. It was reassuring to her.

"Baa-chan, you need to start having a little more faith in me. I'll show up at the wedding, say hi to everyone, and then send Sasuke off with a smile." With that and a grin of his own, Naruto left.

Tsunade shook her head, "That brat goes through hell and back for everyone but himself."

"I agree, Tsunade-sama." Shizune replied. Even Tonton oinked in agreement.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Sakura's green eyes scanned the area carefully. The girl was on a self-appointed mission and wasn't about to fail. Spotting her target, she raced forward, only to be pushed aside with a shout of, "Get out of my way, bill-board brow!"

Realizing what just happened, Sakura yelled at the blonde girl who had shoved her. "Stupid Ino-pig!"

Ino ignored her, choosing run ahead of her and to Sakura's intended target. The pink-haired girl dashed forward and tackled Ino, sending both girls tumbling to the ground. Their target approached them after hearing the commotion as the girls began to fight on the ground and even pull each other's hair.

"Um, Sakura-chan, why are you fighting Ino?" Naruto asked them, standing nearby, wondering what was wrong.

Ino kicked Sakura off of her, and stood up quickly, straightening out her clothes to make her look more presentable to the boy. "Hi, Naruto! I was wondering if you'd like to be my -"

She didn't finish because Sakura clapped a hand over the blonde's mouth and smiled at Naruto. "Don't listen to what Ino says. She's stupid."

Upon hearing this, Ino thrashed wildly against Sakura's hold. Naruto's eyes bugged out as he saw that his pink-haired friend was strong enough to keep her restrained. Keeping a firm grip over Ino's mouth, Sakura asked, "Naruto, will you be my -" the girl didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she shrieked, pushed Ino away from her, and examined her hand. "Ow! You bit me!" She yelled at Ino.

"Serves you right!" Ino replied triumphantly. Sakura rushed her again and the two began to fight once again, launching kicks and punches at one another. Poor Naruto had absolutely no idea what was wrong with them. All he knew for sure was that the girls were crazy...

"What the hell's going on?" He asked, getting more and more confused.

Finally, both girls paused in their battle, and turned to him, speaking in unison, "Be my date for the wedding!"

Naruto blinked, shocked disbelief written all over his face. "Huh?"

"Yeah. I just think you're a great guy and I'd love it if you went with me." Ino told him, smiling.

Sakura glared briefly at her, before turning her attention to Naruto, "I've known you so much longer than she has, and you used to ask me out all the time when we were younger. Now, I'm asking you..." A blush formed on her cheeks as she spoke, "Do you want to be my date for the wedding?"

Both girls stood there, waiting side by side, each hoping Naruto would accept their invitation. Naruto looked at Sakura, then at Ino, and back at Sakura once more. He shook his head sadly, "I'm really sorry Sakura-chan -"

"I knew it! Didn't I tell you he would pick me?" Ino said excitedly, interrupting Naruto. She turned to Sakura, who looked disappointed, and added, "In your face, bill-board brow!"

That was one jibe too many for the pink-haired girl. She attacked Ino and grabbed the girl by her long blonde ponytail. Quickly, she began to wrap it around Ino's neck, attempting to strangle her with it. Naruto rushed forward and pulled Sakura away from Ino, who was dazed, but unharmed. In Naruto's hold, Sakura struggled and he quickly put her back on the ground, not wanting to be a target of her fury.

"Sakura-chan! Calm down. I'm not taking Ino either!" He said to his teammate, hands on her shoulders. Sakura's anger was replaced by confusion, and Ino's eyes widened, shocked.

"Why?" They both asked simultaneously.

"You would know if you had let me finish talking." Naruto said, grinning. He continued, "I was going to say that I was sorry to both of you. I can't go with either of you because I have to leave on an important mission that day."

"A mission? Can't it wait until after the wedding?" Ino asked, a slight pout on her lips.

Naruto shook his head,"No. It's super important and I already told Tsunade-baa-chan that I would do it at a specific time." A surprised look crossed Naruto's features, "Wait a minute, you two don't have dates yet? Why not?" Both girls were pretty and he didn't understand why nobody else had asked them out.

Ino answered first, "I thought Shikamaru would ask me. After I dropped several hints for him, he still didn't, so I decided to step up to the plate and do the asking myself. You know what he said? 'It would be too troublesome.' Me, troublesome... Can you believe that?" She rolled her eyes, irritated by the memory, "For a genius, he sure says a lot of stupid things."

"Oh." was all Naruto replied. He could understand Shikamaru's point of view, but didn't want to tell her that. Ino could certainly be difficult to deal with sometimes...

He switched his attention to Sakura,"Has anyone asked you?"

She thought about it for a second, "No, but..."

"But what?"

Sakura frowned, "I thought Rock Lee was going to ask me. Last week, he stopped by the hospital and told me he wanted to ask me something important, but at the time, I was really busy and couldn't take the time to see what he had to say. He hasn't tried since then..."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I'd still like to know why you two were fighting each other." Naruto said to the girls.

Ino straightened out her ponytail, re-adjusting it to fix the unevenness to her hairstyle that Sakura had caused by pulling it. Her blue eyes met the other girl's green ones, "Do you want to tell him or should I?"

Sakura shrugged, "Go ahead. It's still embarrassing no matter who says it."

Ino nodded, answering the boy, "Since Sakura and I are friends with the occasional rivalry, we like to fight and compete for what we like. Today, we were competing for you, Naruto."

Naruto gawked, completely shocked and even a little flattered. Two pretty girls trying to the beat the crap out of each other because of him? It was unbelievable. That was the type of thing that happened to someone like Sasuke.

Seeing his astonished expression, Sakura laughed. "Oh, Naruto, don't look so surprised! You're quite a catch around here."

"She's right, you know." Ino agreed, looking at him up and down, "In fact, I don't know why I haven't asked you out sooner..." she added with a flirty smile and flip of her long bangs.

"Stop drooling, Ino-pig. He already said no and no means no." Sakura told her, hands on hips.

Ino glared at her and was about to start another argument, but Naruto intervened with a suggestion. "I know I can't take you two as dates to the wedding, but if you want, I'll escort you both there. I was planning on stopping by anyway, so it's up to you."

The girls exchanged looks. Neither of them had been expecting this outcome, but it wasn't an entirely unappealing. Rather, it was a good compromise because both would still get a short date with Naruto and they wouldn't need to fight any longer on who would get him. "That sounds good, Naruto. I accept." Sakura said to him.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan! What about you, Ino?"

The blonde girl sighed, "I want to go, but you'll just leave anyway, so what's the point? I'd rather not be ditched." After hearing her, Sakura bit her lip, suddenly unsure of her choice about deciding to go. She didn't want to be ditched either. It sounded awful...

Naruto smiled reassuringly at both girls. "Ino-chan... Sakura-chan... Have you seen yourselves lately? You two seem to be forgetting the fact that you're both really cool and good-looking girls. Trust me, neither of you would be alone at the wedding. Guys would be lining up to dance with you - or whatever it is that people do at weddings."

Sakura giggled at the compliment and Ino squealed with joy, "You really think so?" She asked, eyes bright.

Naruto grinned, "I don't think so. I know so."

Ino tackled him, nearly knocking him over and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, Naruto! I'd love to go!"

After a moment, she let him go, allowing Sakura to embrace him. Her arms around his neck, Sakura kissed him lightly on the cheek. He glanced at her, puzzled by the affectionate gesture. "That's for always being there for me when I need you." She explained, "It really means a lot to me that I have such a good friend in my life." She smiled and let him go.

"You're a really good friend yourself, Sakura-chan." Naruto replied.

"Aww... That's sweet." Ino commented sincerely. Her mood had improved dramatically and she felt like doing something nice. "Hey, Naruto, Sakura, do you two want to come with me and grab lunch together? It'll be my treat because I need to apologize for acting like a crazy person earlier."

"That sounds great! Count me in!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura nodded, "Sure. I'll go too, but you weren't the only crazy person around here, Ino. If you want, I'll pay half the bill."

"OK. That's fine with me. Where do you want to eat?" Ino asked Naruto.

"Ramen!" He said enthusiastically. Ino raised an eyebrow, surprised with how happy he was about the prospect of getting a bowl of ramen. She had heard that he liked it, but didn't think he liked it that much. Regardless, Ino was still happy to see him so fired up.

Sakura had seen the sight of a happy Naruto about to get ramen countless times, and she wasn't surprised in the least that he wanted his favorite food for lunch. Besides, a bowl or two sounded good to the pink-haired girl after an afternoon of fighting with Ino and chasing Naruto.

"Alright. Come on, you two! Let's go!" Naruto said, already walking away and leading the way to Ichiraku. The girls followed, both feeling that today was a good day and one to celebrate by having lunch with friends.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Elsewhere, a far less light-hearted meeting was taking place.

"How dare you question my authority?" Homura said, furious.

Hiashi Hyuuga lowered his head,"No, I wasn't questioning you. I was just raising concern for my eldest daughter."

Seated next to Homura, Koharu sneered, "Hiashi, don't be so stupid! You lost your right to care about that girl years ago. After all, didn't you practically banish her from your clan and leave her to be trained by Kurenai Yuuhi because you said she was too weak to be the next Hyuuga clan leader?"

The current Hyuuga leader grit his teeth, knowing that the old woman was right. He had said that about Hinata, but over the years, she proved him wrong. Now, she was a capable, strong young woman. "I know exactly what I said and did. At the time, I believed myself to be correct. However, with hindsight, I realize what I did was wrong." Hiashi met their eyes, resolve in his voice, "I've failed Hinata as a father. I need to try and make amends to her. I'll start by letting her make her own decisions by not marrying Sasuke Uchiha."

"No. You cannot renege on your promise. You agreed to our terms, stating you would agree that your daughter would be Uchiha's bride in exchange for being recommended by us so you can become the next Hokage." Homura remarked matter-of-factly.

"That was a mistake. I had no right to sign her away to Uchiha!" Hiashi declared, raising his voice to hide his guilt over what he had done.

"That doesn't matter now, Hiashi. What's done is done and the marriage shall go forth as planned." Koharu said. Hiashi noticed the woman didn't sound too happy about the idea.

"Hinata is my daughter and I don't want her to marry Uchiha. She doesn't want to marry him and I doubt that Uchiha wants to marry her." Hiashi pointed out.

Homura scoffed, "You make it sound as though we care about that treacherous punk or what you and your daughter want. I have news for you: nobody cares. This was just an arrangement to keep that damn boy from causing trouble."

Koharu rolled her eyes before commenting dryly, "Yes, and it worked a little too well. Uchiha is still alive and well."

The Hyuuga's eyes widened. Hiashi had already knew that Sasuke would be executed if he didn't agree to the marriage because he had defected from Konoha. It was a safety measure... at least, that's what Hiashi had originally thought. But now, it seemed like the elders actually _wanted_ Sasuke dead. Hiashi narrowed his pale eyes, "What do mean by 'alive and well'?"

"How should I put this so you can understand?" Koharu began, then paused to think about it. "Sasuke Uchiha is a wolf. By that, I mean he is wild, unpredictable, and dangerous. A wolf should not be allowed to live in a village and must be eradicated before he can harm anyone."

"What about a tamed wolf?" Hiashi asked.

This time, Homura answered, "There is no such thing. However, a wolf is a cunning beast and can pretend to be tame, only to tear the throat out of some hapless victim. That is why it is better to kill the beast immediately."

"Stop speaking in riddles and just get to the heart of the matter." The Hyuuga said, losing his patience with the elders and regretting ever agreeing to anything with them. Nothing was worth going through all this trouble. At the same time, he was aware that this was still all his fault and had no one to blame but himself.

"Fine, Hiashi, I'll tell you the full story. After all, all three of us seem to be in this together." Homura removed his glasses, polishing against his shirt. "Uchiha wasn't supposed to marry your daughter. He was supposed to be executed for his treason against Konoha. However, Tsunade-hime - our dear, but naively misguided Hokage - believed that Uchiha should be given a second chance and be shown 'mercy', as she put it. I was strongly against the idea, but soon realized that there was a way to remedy the situation..."

"The marriage contract's execution clause." Hiashi said quietly, understanding what they had planned from the start. "You believed that Uchiha would fail in some way, therefore forfeiting his life."

"Indeed. If that had been so, Uchiha would be dead, your daughter wouldn't need to marry, and you would be one step closer to more power in Konoha. You see now how much easier things would have been if he had failed. To be honest, I'm quite shocked and disappointed that this marriage needs to happen at all. It was planned to be just a facade, hiding what we were really after." Koharu replied, more irritated than anything else. She glowered at Hiashi, "We didn't get a dead traitor like we wanted, so you will also share in our fate and not get what you want. The  
marriage _will_ happen."

"No, it won't. I'll tell Hokage-sama what you were planning about Uchiha. She won't stand for that kind of underhanded scheme!" Hiashi said, sure that would scare them. Instead, the two elders exchanged looks, and then laughed at him.

"Don't be so foolish. Not only would Tsunade-hime not believe you, she would punish you for trying to claim the right to be next Hokage!" Homura replied coldly, and very sure of himself. "If you say anything to her, we'll turn you in as well for your part in this and then we will all end up suffering. Tell me, Hiashi, can you live with the dishonor that would bring to you and the entire Hyuuga clan?"

"No." Hiashi answered. He was a proud man who hated to admit when he was wrong, but today he had needed to admit his past mistakes. But allowing his whole clan to be in disgrace because of those very errors in judgment? That was way too much and he couldn't risk that happening.

"Perhaps you aren't as stupid as I thought." Koharu said, a smug smirk on her lips from the victory of making Hiashi give up. "Now, Hiashi, what do you say about ending this little chat? It appears that we have finally reached an understanding."

The clan leader didn't reply. He stood up from the chair he had occupied and bowed slightly to them before leaving their office. Once he was outside in the hallway, he cursed, angry at being a pawn in someone else's game.

Hiashi stormed down the hallway and left the building, standing under the late afternoon sun. He took a breath, trying to calm his nerves and think clearly. It was more than obvious that the elders weren't going to help him at all, but he couldn't give up. Hiashi owed Hinata for all the times he had wronged her throughout the years. He had openly criticized her, doubted her, and even favored her sister Hanabi right in front of her eyes...

The Hyuuga sighed, remembering what Tsume Inuzuka had told him the previous day about him not deserving Hinata. _Yes, I __truly don't deserve her as my daughter. I doubt that I ever will deserve her, but at least I can try to make amends for what I've done._ Gathering his resolve and tossing his foolish pride away, Hiashi walked away, towards the only person he felt could help him now…

Tsume. If anyone could be brazen and hard-headed enough to not give a damn about what the elders say or do, it was the willful Inuzuka clan leader herself.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_**Four Days L**__**ater...**_

_**Wedding day, 1:58 PM **_

Beautiful flowers decorated the centerpieces of the tables arranged for the wedding feast. Lace table cloths moved in the breeze, white and delicate, awaiting use. The guests arrived to the park in droves, amazed with the beauty of the decor. They took their places in the seats arranged for them in front of a flowery archway, beneath which the bride and groom would marry. The archway was located on a raised platform, almost like a stage, so all could see. Several guests glanced around, taking photos and wondering where the groom was. They noticed the tents set up a distance away. He was probably there, getting ready for the big event.

The guests chatted politely with one another, waiting for friends to arrive and the ceremony to start. Rock Lee was no exception. He was talking to Neji, who had brought Tenten as his date.

"Tenten, you are looking simply stunning today!" Rock Lee declared.

Clad in a pink, strapless gown, Tenten giggled. Neji put his arm around her and smiled at her, "See? Didn't I tell you that earlier?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought you were just being polite." Tenten said with a laugh. She smiled at her teammates, "You both are looking great yourselves." Neji was wearing a tie, white button down shirt, and black pants. His long brown hair was loose and framed his handsome face. Instead of his usual green jumpsuit, Rock Lee wore a dark green tuxedo and his forehead protector around his waist like a belt.

Rock Lee grinned at the compliment, "Thank you, Tenten! Today is a very special day and -" he stopped talking abruptly, dark eyes widening. "Is that Sakura-chan?" Neji and Tenten turned around, following his gaze. Their eyes widened too, shocked.

A beautiful pink-haired girl with a floor length emerald green dress had just arrived. Her dress accentuated her gracefully slim curves and brought out her own bright green eyes. She was walking on the arm of a handsome blond boy. The boy's spiked golden hair sparkled in the sun and his blue eyes matched the sky of that clear spring day. His black tuxedo jacket was unbuttoned, and his white shirt wasn't tucked in his black pants. Despite this, he still looked great. On the boy's other arm, a stunning blonde girl walked proudly. Her long hair was down; parted to the side, full of loose waves. The thigh-high slit in her lavender dress revealed her shapely legs and purple high-heeled shoes. Each girl wore an orange rose corsage on their left wrist, the same type of flower that was pinned to the boy's lapel.

All guests marveled at the trio, gawking at their impressive looks. Tenten was the first person to recover from her shock as the trio approached them, "Naruto, you look absolutely... wow." she said, eyes fixed on the blond.

Naruto grinned,"Yeah, but don't Sakura-chan and Ino look even better?" Neji and Rock Lee simply nodded, still at a loss for words. The girls smiled at Naruto's side, amused by their reaction. Naruto winked at Tenten. "You look pretty yourself."

At this, Tenten blushed brightly, her cheeks matching her gown. She smiled shyly at him, "Thank you, Naruto." It wasn't every day that Tenten blushed so brightly, but it wasn't every day that she was complimented by an exquisitely handsome Naruto.

Naruto nodded, "You're welcome." His blue eyes scanned the area, amazed. "Wow, it looks like the whole village is here!"

"That's because the whole village _is_ here." Sakura said, gesturing to the crowd of people present. All villagers had been invited to the wedding and the park was the only venue large enough to accommodate all the guests.

"Damn... Is that you, Naruto?" asked a surprised voice behind them. Before Naruto could reply, Ino turned around, "Hey Shikamaru! I'm shocked you actually got off your lazy ass to be here." she said, still miffed about him turning her date invitation down.

Shikamaru sighed, "Yep. As troublesome as it is, I still decided to go."

Next to him, Chouji's eyes were bugged out, staring at Naruto and his two dates, especially Ino. His teammate had always been beautiful, but today, she was looking magnificent. He silently cursed himself for not working up the courage to ask her out sooner.

Finally, Shikamaru asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "Naruto, are you dating both Ino and Sakura?"

There was a suspenseful silence before Naruto, Sakura, and Ino laughed in response. "No! That would be too weird!" Naruto said. He grinned. "I'm just escorting them. It's not a real date."

Next to Neji, Tenten sighed in relief. _Naruto's still single... that's good to know,_ she thought. Unfortunately for her, she had accidently whispered those words aloud and Neji heard. One of his eyebrows twitched in annoyance, "Tenten, may I have a word with you?" The Hyuuga wanted to move somewhere away from Naruto because he was getting tired of his date staring so admiringly at him. Tenten's gaze was so intent, it seemed as though she wasn't even blinking.

Realizing she had been caught, Tenten allowed Neji to lead her away to talk. Before she got too far away, she called out to Naruto, "Bye Naruto! I hope I see you again later!"

Naruto just waved to her, completely unaware of the brown-haired girl's intent focus on him. Sakura and Ino both noticed Tenten's gaze and completely understood why she felt that way. After all, the Uzumaki looked amazing.

"Sakura, want to go sit down? These shoes are killing me." Ino said to the pink-haired girl.

"Sure." answered Sakura, before turning turned her attention to Naruto, "Is that okay if we go?"

"Go ahead and enjoy yourselves. There's something I need to do anyway before I leave."

"OK. Thanks again for bringing me, Naruto. I hope you come back soon." Sakura said, before giving Naruto a quick hug. Ino hugged him too, "Thank you Naruto, and good luck on your mission." To everyone's surprise, both girls kissed him on the cheek, one on each side at the same time before walking towards the seats arranged in front of the archway.

"How could you, Naruto?" Rock Lee cried once the girls were gone.

Naruto blinked, "How could I what?"

"Take both Sakura-chan and Ino-chan as dates! That is so unfair!" Rock Lee exclaimed. He had wanted to take Sakura himself and now Naruto had both her and Ino. It was ridiculous!

"Calm down, Bushy-Brows. It's not like that." Naruto said, trying to explain himself, "I need to leave for a mission in a little while."

"But why did you bring both girls as dates?" Chouji asked.

Naruto sighed, "Didn't I just say that this is not a date? I'm just escorting them here because I wanted to congratulate Sasuke and Hinata before I leave. Once I do that, I'm leaving the wedding."

"What about Sakura-chan?" Rock Lee questioned him.

Naruto shrugged, 'I don't know. I guess she'll just hang out with Ino."

"Sakura-chan is dateless? That is completely unacceptable! I shall go keep her company!" Rock Lee proclaimed before darting away to where the pink-haired girl was seated next to Ino.

The blond blinked, surprised with how fast he left. "I guess he really likes her, huh?"

Shikamaru nodded,"Yeah, I guess so." Chouji looked on, debating whether he should follow in Rock Lee's footsteps and go after the girl he liked or just wait for another opportunity. But what if another chance didn't come?

Naruto noticed his indecision, which prompted him to comment, "You know, Ino is looking really beautiful today. Now would be the perfect time for someone to make their move..."

Chouji grinned at him, "You're absolutely right, Naruto." With that, Chouji went to join Ino, who was being left out of Sakura  
and Lee's conversation. Upon seeing her teammate, the blonde girl smiled warmly at him before starting a conversation of their own.

Shikamaru didn't comment, but a slight frown was present on his face. Naruto took notice, "I'm a bit surprised that you didn't go with Ino when she asked you."

"It would've been too troublesome."

"Why?"

"It's a long story..." Shikamaru replied, hoping Naruto wouldn't press further. However, the blond was naturally persistent. Naruto didn't say anything but his curiosity was clearly evident in his eyes. Sighing, Shikamaru explained, "Ino and I have been together on-and-off for the past two years. I do love her, but our personalities don't mix well. We would be happy for a while, and then we'd fight, break up, get back together, and separate once again. It was troublesome and Ino deserves better than that. I put an end to our relationship weeks ago. She didn't take it well but it's for the best." Shikamaru paused, watching Chouji and Ino together. They seemed to be getting along very well. "Chouji didn't know about Ino and me when we were together, nor I will say anything now. He's a good guy and can make Ino happy. If it works out with them, then that's fine with me..."

"But what if it doesn't work out with them?" Naruto asked, feeling bad for the genius tactician.

"Well, if that happens, I'll try one more time with Ino. If that doesn't work out, then that's it, and we'll just be friends."

"Oh."

Shikamaru shifted his attention back to Naruto, "Anyway, that's enough of that. I'm more interested to know what kind of mission you have. Why are you leaving the wedding so early?"

"All I can say is that it's a top secret mission that only I can handle." Naruto said, trying to sound mysterious.

Shikamaru wasn't fooled by his tone, "I already know about what's going on in Ame because Tsunade-sama has asked my advice about what's going on and what should be done about it. To be honest, I'm not at all surprised that you were picked. She has the utmost faith in you."

Naruto grinned, "You think so?"

"Yeah. Lots of people have faith in you." Shikamaru said, before glancing at his wrist watch. "By the way, when are you leaving? It's already twenty after two."

The blond gasped, "Are you freakin' serious?" He looked around, blue eyes scanning the crowd of people, not finding the one person he needed to talk to the most. "Damn it!" he swore, fully aware he was running out of time.

"Something wrong, Naruto?"

"Yeah! Please tell me you know where Sasuke is!'' Naruto said, sounding panicked.

The Nara didn't know why Naruto was freaking out so suddenly, but pointed to the tents set up away from where the reception would take place. "I think he's over there."

"OK, thanks. Later, Shikamaru!" Naruto called, before zipping away, leaving a confused Shikamaru in his wake.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Sasuke studied his reflection in the mirror in front of him, noting the poorly tied knot of his tie. He undid the knot carefully to avoid wrinkling the fabric.

"Sasuke!"

At the sound of his name being called, the Uchiha stopped, listening. Only one person sounded like that.

"Sasuke!" The voice, who was definitely Naruto, called again.

Sasuke sighed. Naruto was being loud and annoying, as usual. _He never seems to change_... Sasuke thought. A slight smile appeared on his face.

At that moment, Naruto barged into the tent, looking around. The only furnishings were the four tent poles holding up the temporary structure, a full-length mirror, and a dresser. His eyes fell on Sasuke, who had his back turned to him.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, hasn't it? It kind of feels like forever..." Naruto said to him, trying to ignore his sudden sense of sadness.

Sasuke didn't turn around, and resumed tying the knot of his tie. "It's only been a few days, Naruto." He said, remembering the last time they had seen each other. It was the night of Ino's party, and that hadn't gone well.

"I know, but..." Naruto trailed off, unable to finish.

"Why are you here, Naruto? Shouldn't you be outside with everyone else waiting for the reception to begin?"

The blond felt a pressure behind his eyes, signaling that he was going to cry. He fought the feeling as he spoke, "I'm here to say congratulations before I leave, Sasuke."

Sasuke finished with his tie, and looked at Naruto's reflection in the mirror, "Why? Where are you going?"

"I have a really important mission today and I'm leaving the wedding in a few minutes." He bit his lip, before adding, "So... congratulations, Sasuke. I hope you and Hinata will be happy together."

The raven-haired boy said nothing at first, but felt a growing sense of dread. Finally, he asked, "When will you return from this mission?"

"I don't know. It will take as long as it needs to..."

"That's not a good answer, Naruto. It's too unspecific, which leads me to think that this mission is dangerous."

"Yeah, but I can handle anything." Naruto replied confidently. "Besides, I gave Tsunade-baa-chan my word that I would succeed, and - "

"Naruto Uzumaki never goes back on his word." Sasuke finished for him.

"Exactly. You're finally starting to understand my greatness." Naruto took a deep breath, trying to summon his resolve, "Good bye, Sasuke."

At this, the Uchiha turned around, facing Naruto directly, "Good bye? Dobe, don't you know that when you tell someone good bye, it means that you believe you'll never see that person again?"

"I know that. After today, nothing will be the same, so I'm saying good bye to the person that you once were." _And t__he person that I loved__ and still do_, he added mentally.

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Sasuke's serious onyx eyes met Naruto's bright blue ones.

Naruto plastered a smile upon his face to hide his heartache, "Sasuke, you're getting married today! This is the start of a whole new life for you. You should be more excited!"

Sasuke eyes narrowed, "Just say what you mean."

"Sasuke, I want you to be happy. To do that, you need to move on with your life. You know, let go of the past and start seeing the future that you can have." Naruto smiled at his friend, and held out his hand. Sasuke looked puzzled. The blond laughed, "Come on, Sasuke. I'm not going to bite you!"

A smile appeared on Sasuke's face after considering his words. "You're right, Naruto. After today, things _will_ be different." He took Naruto's hand and shook it, "I'll see you later, alright?"

For the first time since their talk began, Naruto smiled genuinely. "Yeah... Later, Sasuke."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_**2:30**__** PM, Same D**__**ay **_

The wedding march began. Sasuke stood at the altar, looking at the crowds assembled. Near him, Tsunade stood by, ready to officiate the ceremony. Koharu and Homura stood a distance away, scowls marking their discontent with the proceedings.

At last, the bride made her appearance. Hinata's face was obscured by a veil, and she carried a large bouquet of white roses over her belly. The flowers hid the evidence of her pregnancy as well as adding to her own beauty. All eyes were drawn to the beautiful girl in the snow white dress, whose straight dark hair contrasted against her outfit and pale skin. Her walk was stately and elegant as she made her way down the aisle between all the spectators.

Although it seemed as though Sasuke's eyes were on her, it wasn't the case. His focus was on the blond boy who was leaving the ceremony almost completely unnoticed. If Sasuke would've have been facing Naruto, he would have seen the tears that sparkled on the boy's whisker-marked cheeks.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was quiet in Konoha as Naruto walked through the village. Everywhere he looked, no one was to be seen. He knew where everyone was. The wedding, of course. It was the type of event that nobody would want to miss... except for him.

In all honesty, Naruto was almost glad he was leaving. By leaving, he was sparing himself the pain of watching Sasuke get married. Maybe it was a bit cowardly to run away rather than face that pain, but Naruto had a valid excuse. After all, an S-ranked mission couldn't be ignored.

With a backpack of neccesary supplies and the mission specifics that Tsunade had given him, Naruto was more than ready to take on this mission. All he needed to do was switch his thoughts from Sasuke to the task that he needed to accomplish. Although it sounded simple to think about something else, it was much more difficult in practice.

On the way to the village gates, Naruto glanced to his right and saw the river that went through the village. His eyes watered as he remembered that in this spot, many years ago, he had first seen Sasuke smile. The Uchiha had been sitting on the small wooden dock alone, looking at the water below him, and Naruto had been passing by after dealing with the taunts and insults thrown his way by being the Kyuubi vessel. After having such a bad day, Naruto had been hurrying back to his apartment and had noticed Sasuke. Naruto had stopped, staring at the silent boy who appeared to be lost in his thoughts. Perhaps Sasuke noticed Naruto's gaze on him, because at that time, Sasuke had looked back at him. For a moment, their eyes met, and the mysterious raven-haired boy had smiled. It was a slight, subtle expression, but it was genuine, and that one simple gesture of kindness had brightened Naruto's entire day. Since that moment, Naruto had been charmed by the other boy, wanting to get to know and understand him.

Naruto's thoughts returned to the present. His gaze lingered on that same little wooden dock that still remained. He slid down the grassy hill and walked to the edge of the dock, where he sat down and studied his own reflection in the water's glassy surface. Over the years, he hadn't changed much. Sure, on the outside, his looks matured and he grew taller, but on the inside, his way of thinking hadn't changed significantly and his feelings about certain things hadn't changed too drastically.

As a child, he had always wanted to be Hokage so everyone would acknowledge him. Now, he had every intention of becoming Hokage so he could keep Konoha safe. He had always wanted to be a ninja and was content to remain one for as long as possible. Yes, that hadn't changed, and he was glad about that.

Sitting on the quiet dock, Naruto could hear the distant sound of people cheering. It sounded like the wedding was over and now everyone was celebrating the union. Sasuke and Hinata were now officially bound together and were free to start their new lives together.

This realization brought tears back to Naruto's eyes. He wiped them away, getting frustrated with how often it seemed he cried. It was becoming ridiculous, but he supposed it did make sense. He couldn't always smile, especially when his heart was breaking.

Looking at the clear sky above, Naruto knew that time was wasting and he still needed to get to Ame. In his currently very unhappy state, he was obviously not suited for any mission. To remedy this, he decided to spend a few minutes being upset. His feelings just wouldn't go away at the drop of a hat, and he couldn't be so distracted during the mission. A few minutes of self-pity and reflection wouldn't hurt, and just might let him move on with his life. Either that, or make him severely depressed. Regardless of what happened, it was still worth a try.

Naruto allowed his silent tears to fall as he remembered his first accidental kiss with Sasuke and laughed softly when he recalled having the crap beaten out of him by a Sasuke-obsessed group of fan girls. Now that he thought about it, being beaten up was a small price to pay for kissing the Uchiha...

He remembered Team Seven's very first mission in the Land of Waves, and how dangerous it had been. More specifically, he remembered how Sasuke had protected him from their opponent, Haku's, attacks and the savage rage that he felt when it looked as though Sasuke had been killed. Naruto recalled his joy of seeing the raven-haired boy after the battle, injured but alive.

So many memories flooded Naruto's mind, some good and some bad. The worst by far was when Sasuke had defected from Konoha. On that day, Naruto had felt as though someone had torn out his heart, stomped it into the dirt, and then kicked it back, whacking him in the face, only to have it fall back to the ground. For years, the blond felt the pain of that day and channeled it into a fierce determination to bring Sasuke back. Finally, after the years came and went, Naruto had succeeded. His dream had been fulfilled because Sasuke was back in Konoha, and Naruto finally realized why he was crazy enough to defy the odds and succeed; it was love. A strong, enduring, everlasting love that had formed over years, starting off as a small ember and growing into an inextinguishable blaze.

With love and resolve, Naruto had brought back his Sasuke, but fate, destiny, or whatever else you want to call it, had decided to give the Uchiha to someone else. Sure, Sasuke was still in the village, but it felt as though there would be an unbreakable barrier between Naruto and him.

_I lost him once and brought him back, just to lose him all over again. _Naruto thought._ But maybe Sasuke was never mine to begin with, and you can't lose something you never really had..._

The wind blew, rustling the leaves in the surrounding trees. The noise of the leaves concealed the gentle footfalls of someone approaching. The newcomer's gaze immediately fell on Naruto, who was lost in his thoughts and didn't notice.

"Hey, Naruto."

Upon hearing that voice, Naruto's eyes grew wide. Only one person had that calm, deep voice. The blond turned around and couldn't believe his eyes. Standing at the top of the grassy hill was someone who Naruto thought he wouldn't see for a long time...

Still dressed in his suit from the wedding, it was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.


	13. Chapter 12: The Whole Truth

Author's note: Hi! Wow! All of you readers are so seriously kick-ass! Thank you so very much for the lovely reviews and adding this story to alerts/faves. I appreciate it more than you may ever know! Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!

Due to popular demand, I have updated this story as requested by my readers. I was originally planning to update next week, but there were so many reviews asking for an update, I just had to post earlier. Here's the second part of the two-part special event. I typed as fast as I possibly could and worked really hard on this chapter, so please read and review to let me know what you thought about it. Don't forget that there will be an epilogue coming soon, so please stayed tuned for that. Anyway, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, SasuNaru/NaruSasu fans around the world would rejoice, and people who don't like it would be really ticked off.

Chapter 12: The Whole Truth and Nothing But

Naruto stood up from the dock, not believing his eyes. "Sasuke, is that you?" He asked incredulously.

The Uchiha smirked before replying, "Who else would it be, dobe?"

The blond raced back across the dock, reaching the top of hill in no time. Tentatively, he reached out and touched Sasuke's hair, tugging on the blue-black strands that framed his face.

"It really is you..." Naruto whispered, amazed.

Sasuke frowned at having his hair pulled and swatted Naruto's hand away. "Didn't I just say that, idiot?"

Naruto ignored the insult, too awestruck to care. Once he got over the initial shock, he spoke hurriedly, not even taking a breath between sentences. "Sasuke, what happened? What's going on? Did you marry Hinata? Where is  
she? Why are you here? Tell - ."

Naruto's series of questions was halted by Sasuke, who placed his hand firmly over the blond's mouth, who immediately tried to pry it away so he could continue talking.

"Naruto." Sasuke said, tone serious. Naruto stopped his struggling and met his onyx eyes. The Uchiha continued, "I'm going to count to three. When I get to three, I'm going to let go of your mouth, and I'll answer your  
questions. For me to do that, you need to stay quiet. Do you understand?"

The Uzumaki nodded frantically. Sasuke counted, "One... two... three."

He let Naruto go, who exclaimed, "Tell me everything! I want the whole truth and nothing but! Don't stretch the truth or exaggerate or any of that crap! Only the truth, okay?"

Sasuke blinked, surprised with Naruto's eagerness to know and the speed of his talking. "Fine, but I'm not going to repeat myself, so make sure you're listening."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_**Flashback: Twenty **__**minutes earlier, 2:30 PM**_

Standing at the altar, Sasuke had to resist the urge to run after the swiftly departing Naruto. His eyes travelled to the crowd of wedding guests. Most were watching Hinata as she made her way down the aisle, while others would occasionally glance at him, and then back at her. The Uchiha briefly glanced at Tsunade, who wouldn't meet his gaze. Instead, she shifted uncomfortably, tightly gripping the book she needed for the ceremony. A short distance way, the elders glared at him, but said nothing.

At last, Hinata reached the end of the aisle and stood next to Sasuke. Beneath her sheer veil, the Hyuuga heiress tried to smile, but it was clear she was faking it. She was nervous, as evidenced by her lightly shaking hands upon the bouquet she carried.

Tsunade noticed, but dismissed it. The Hokage cleared her throat before she addressed the crowd, "Approximately six weeks ago, a wedding was announced. On this spring day, we are gathered here to see this event. This day is for celebration and marks a time to rejoice." Her eyes briefly met Sasuke's as she spoke, "Hopefully, on this day, two people will have found their happiness."

The Hokage opened the book she carried and read, "Today, we shall witness the union between Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga, both born of noble clans. This union shall tie the two of them to one another, as well as strengthening their bonds to the village of Konoha." She glanced up from her reading, "Sasuke, please take Hinata's hand so we may begin."

Hinata held out her white-gloved hand to Sasuke, which he held loosely and somewhat awkwardly. The crowd took notice, but figured it was just nervousness.

A little frown appeared on Tsunade's face as she read the following lines. "Sasuke Uchiha, today you shall take Hinata Hyuuga as your bride. Hinata Hyuuga, you shall in turn take Sasuke Uchiha as your husband and -"

"I'm no expert on weddings, but wasn't that the part where you're supposed ask us if we agree to marry, then say 'I do' or whatever, instead of just telling us what to do?" Sasuke asked, interrupting the blonde woman.

Tsunade glared at him for the interruption, but returned her gaze to the book she read from. Her brow furrowed, "You're right, Sasuke. Somebody has edited the words that are used to officiate the ceremony."

"But who would do that, Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked.

"That would my doing, young lady." Homura said.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, suspicious, "And why would you do that?"

"To make sure nothing goes wrong." He replied, looking pointedly at Sasuke. The old man was fully aware that if Sasuke was given the choice get married or not, he would say no, and run away as fast as he could. As much as Homura would've preferred to see the Uchiha not here, he still needed to make this damned charade look decent, if only to save face.

Koharu narrowed her eyes, annoyed with the pause in the proceedings, "Tsunade-hime, do continue. The guests are waiting and this is no time to second-guess anything." She smirked slightly, speaking once more, loud enough only for Tsunade to hear, "You don't want to look bad in front of all of Konoha, do you? An unprepared Hokage? That's a very foolish display to show anyone."

Tsunade smiled at Koharu, gritting her teeth and wanting to punch her in the face. "Yes, Koharu, I'm fully aware of your concerns, and thank you for them, no matter how unnecessary they are. I'm going to finish up now, so step aside."

With that, the elders moved a distance away. Each of them had seen the anger that glittered in Tsunade's brown eyes. When she looked like that, it meant she was ready to knock someone out, and with her strength, not only would she knock them out, but also send them flying.

Tsunade closed the book that had been tampered with and spoke loudly, trying to reassure the crowds who wondered what was going on, "My apologies, everyone. It seems there has been a clerical error. The wedding will now proceed as planned."

"As you are aware of, Sasuke and Hinata shall be husband and wife. If anyone has any objections to this union, let them speak now or forever remain silent."

Hinata said nothing, but looked sadly at the ground. Sasuke was quiet too, appearing to be listening for something. He smirked when he finally heard it.

"I object!" Tsume Inuzuka cried, standing up from her seat in the back row. She marched down the aisle, dragging Kiba behind her. The boy looked dazed, like somebody had just smacked him on the head very hard.

"On what grounds do you object?" Homura demanded to know.

Tsume's eyes blazed with emotion, "Hinata Hyuuga is carrying my grandchild! That's reason enough!" The crowd gasped, shocked at this unexpected revelation.

"That is not a valid reason." Koharu said, going up to the Inuzuka woman. "You could be making this whole thing up."

Tsume faced her directly, pushing her son out of the way, who had been unsuccessfully trying to hold her back. "How dare you, old hag! I should beat the shit out of you for your disbelief!" She yelled, furious.

The old woman took several steps back, scared. To her, Tsume reminded her of a feral dog about to attack. "Someone, please escort this savage woman away. She's ruining the wedding!" Koharu said. Two ANBU appeared immediately and attempted to restrain Tsume. She fought back, literally kicking and screaming.

Standing at the altar, Tsunade was the picture of disbelief. Hinata's lavender eyes were bugged out, unable to process the scene. Homura was mad because of the interruption. The only one who was normal was Sasuke. Arms folded, he calmly watched, waiting for his turn to speak when the time was right.

Tsunade shook her head, trying to get her thoughts reorganized as Tsume was being dragged away, putting up one hell of a fight. "Is there any other objections?" Tsunade asked the crowd.

"I also object." said Hiashi Hyuuga, standing from his seat in the front row.

"What did you just say?" Homura said, grinding his teeth and feeling as his anger caused his blood pressure to rise.

Hiashi spoke proudly, "You heard me, Homura. I will not allow my daughter to marry Uchiha." He walked up to Kiba, who was still standing there stunned, having just seen his mother carried off by ANBU and catching a glimpse of Kuromaru racing after her. Hiashi placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hinata is my daughter. As her father, it is my duty to make sure she is happy. She can only be happy if she marries the boy she loves. Kiba Inuzuka, you have my blessing to marry Hinata."

Completely shocked, Kiba spoke in a low voice, "Thank you, Hyuuga-sama."

Hiashi shook his head, "No, Kiba." He smiled faintly at the boy, "Just call me Hiashi."

Seeing Hiashi's acceptance of Kiba was too much for Homura to handle. He screamed, "No, no, no! What did I say about that, Hyuuga? The marriage between Uchiha and your daughter will happen because the contract demands it to be so!"

Sasuke smirked, "If that's the only thing demanding this wedding, then this wedding - like the contract - is no longer valid."

"Excuse me, brat?" Homura asked angrily. "Why wouldn't it be valid?"

Sasuke's eyes gleamed with triumph. "You would know, considering the fact that you and Koharu broke it a long time ago."

"What? That is an outrageous lie!" Koharu exclaimed. She turned to Tsunade, grabbing the blonde's sleeve. "Do you see why this boy should have been executed? All he does is cause strife wherever he goes!"

Tsunade pushed Koharu away from her, looking at Sasuke, "What the hell are you talking about? How did they break the contract?"

"The contract is based on the fact that all conditions must be met in order for the entire thing to remain valid. For example, if I didn't do one community service task, but everything else I was required to do, I would still break it, and be executed, as stated in the contract. It stands to reason that all who signed the contract also would be bound under that simple rule." He pointed to the elders. "They broke one condition; therefore, the contract is no longer valid."

"And what, pray tell, was that?" Homura snapped at him.

A smirk was present on Sasuke's face as he informed the Hokage, "Both elders violated the clause which stated that no outside party besides them, you, Hinata and I were supposed to know about the contract. They told Hiashi Hyuuga, and he told Tsume Inuzuka. The secrecy was lost, resulting in the condition being unfulfilled." His smirked widened, "As you can see, I didn't have anything to do with the broken contract."

Tsunade was speechless at Sasuke's words, but Homura wasn't. "Lies!" He screamed, "Nothing but filthy lies from traitorous scum! Tsunade-hime, do you now see his true nature? I order his execution immediately!"

"Shut up!" Tsunade roared at him. Homura flinched at the rage in her voice. She turned her gaze to Hiashi, "Is everything Sasuke said true? Did the elders tell you about the contract and did you tell Tsume?" she demanded to know.

Hiashi nodded, "Yes, Hokage-sama. It is all true."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Why did they tell you, Hiashi?"

Hiashi sighed, knowing that the truth would get him in trouble with the Hokage, but it would also help make things right. "I suggested Hinata for Uchiha's wedding, and gave my consent in exchange for a recommendation for becoming the next Hokage. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do, but it was very foolish." He bowed to her. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama. I'll accept any punishment you deem appropriate for what I have done."

The Fifth Hokage sighed, "Fine, Hiashi. You will be punished in some way, but I appreciate your remorse and honesty, and that has shown your integrity. I'll decide your fate another time."

"Hokage-sama!" called a woman's voice.

Suddenly, Tsume herself sprinted over to them, panting and disheveled from her struggle with the ANBU. "Please listen to Hiashi and the Uchiha boy! A few days ago, Hiashi told me about everything and that's why I'm trying to put an end to this before someone gets hurt or has their life ruined."

"Tsume? What are you doing here? How did you get free from the ANBU's custody?" Tsunade asked her.

A fanged grin appeared on Tsume's face, "I had a little help."

Behind her, Kuromaru stood proudly, a strip of cloth from an ANBU uniform hanging from his jaws. "My loyalty lies with the whole Inuzuka clan, Hokage-sama. I hope you don't mind that I had to fight your ANBU to help my family." The wolf-dog said, respectfully bowing his head to Tsunade.

"I don't mind, Kuromaru. You were just doing what you felt you needed to." Tsunade told him, scanning the crowd. She couldn't help but notice how restless they all were. Nobody had any idea of what was supposed to happen next. Was the wedding still going to happen? Were the allegations against the elders true? What about Sasuke? Would he be punished for the broken contract? Tsunade didn't know what to do.

"Homura, give me the contract." she suddenly ordered the elderly man.

He was startled by her tone, but shook his head, "No, Tsunade-hime. What good what it do now?"

"Just do it. I need to see it and decide who really broke this ridiculous agreement." She held out her hand expectantly, knowing the man would keep the contract in his possession. "Don't keep your Hokage waiting." she added, annoyed with his hesitation.

Reluctantly, he pulled the two folded sheets of paper from his coat pocket and offered them to her. She snatched them away, reading the contract and checking to see if Sasuke was right about the broken conditions. Once she finished her reading, she looked up.

For a moment, Tsunade just stood there, looking at everyone around her, deciding what should happen and what needed to happen. So many had been affected by that marriage contract. It was astonishing to believe that a few sheets of paper could dictate the lives and actions of people…

_No, it's not_ _astonishing; it's just__ plain stupid_. Tsunade thought, finally reaching a decision.

For the first time that day, Tsunade smiled. "After everything that I've heard today, I have decided that the marriage contract has been broken. In addition –"

"If the contract has been broken, then Uchiha should be executed! It's only fair!" Koharu said, knowing that she grasping at straws.

"Silence!" Tsunade yelled at her, "You have no right to speak now! Not only have you lied, you insist on punishing another for your mistakes! I've had enough! From now on, I will decide what happens to the citizens of Konoha."

The elders tried to protest, but the wedding guests booed them and cheered for Tsunade. Humiliated in front of the crowd, both village elders slunk away, pride badly damaged. With her own fiery pride and renewed strength, Tsunade continued, "This wedding was an arranged marriage to tie Sasuke Uchiha to Konoha, but now I feel that he has proven himself and his loyalty. Because of that, I declare that the contract is now over. "

With that, she ripped the contract up, throwing the torn pieces over her shoulder, allowing the wind carry them away. Perhaps the paper would be more useful as a bird's nesting material than it was a contract. It would certainly do a lot more good in the world…

She smiled at Sasuke, "You did it. You're finally free, brat."

Sasuke felt as though a giant weight had been taken off his shoulders. He sighed in relief. "Thank you, Tsunade. " He brought his gaze to Hinata, who looked glad for him. For her kindness to him during this whole ordeal, he felt the quiet girl deserved a reward. He glanced at Kiba. "You know, it would be a waste of a wedding if someone didn't get married. After all, isn't that what everyone came to see?"

Kiba grinned and approached the altar, "You know something, Sasuke? That's probably the best thing you've ever said."

Sasuke smiled as Kiba knelt on one knee in front of Hinata, taking her hands in his own. Kiba's voice was clear and strong as he spoke, "Hinata Hyuuga, I've been in love with you for years. I would always count my blessings each day I was with you." He paused, and sighed, "I'm sorry that I was such a jackass lately. I was just too stupid and childish to take on the responsibilities that I have been given. After having some sense beaten into me, I finally realize that I'm ready for anything because I love you, and I love our child."

By now, Hinata was crying, the tears falling like a gentle rain. Taking a small velvet box from his pocket, he asked his question as he opened the box, revealing a sparkling, heart-shaped diamond ring. "If you say yes, you'll make me the happiest guy in the world... Hinata Hyuuga, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Kiba!" Hinata said, tears of joy on her cheeks. She removed her veil and allowed Kiba to put the ring on her finger. After, she hugged him and they kissed. Nearby, Tsume didn't hide her own tears of happiness. She cried loudly, knowing that her son had finally done what was right, and she couldn't have been prouder of him.

"Since we are all here, what do you two say about making it official, right here, right now?" Tsunade asked the happy couple.

"Hell yeah!" Kiba cheered. Hinata laughed, happy beyond belief.

"Congratulations, Hinata. I hope your life is full of happiness." Sasuke said to her.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san. I'm hoping the exact same thing for you." Hinata replied with a warm smile.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see about that." He said, looking towards the center of the village in the direction he had seen Naruto leave in.

Tsunade noticed his gaze and sighed. "Go on, Sasuke. "

There was pause before he asked, "Seriously?"

"Yes, Sasuke. Get out of here." She smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. "As long as you don't do anything bad, it's fine with me. Go make yourself useful somewhere, brat."

With that, Sasuke turned away and walked back down the aisle. As he was leaving he heard someone call out to him. It was Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun, where are you going?" she asked, concerned.

For the first time in a long time, Sasuke smiled genuinely at the pink-haired girl, "I'm going wherever my heart desires."

_**End of Fl**__**ashback**_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"... And that's exactly what happened." Sasuke said, completing his story. Standing next to him, Naruto gaped like a fish, trying to wrap his mind around the events that unfolded without him present.

"Damn! I missed one hell of a wedding!" he finally said with a laugh.

"Hn... I guess that's one way to look at it." Sasuke replied, smirking. Now that he thought about it, it really _was _one hell of a wedding.

"Yeah... Do you think anybody videotaped it?"

"I'm sure somebody did. Lots of people had cameras and it's likely that at least one person had a video camera."

"I hope so." Naruto said. His sorrow-filled thoughts and mood had disappeared completely after hearing Sasuke's account of the events at the wedding. He felt considerably better now because Sasuke hadn't gotten married and because two people who loved each other did. He smiled, "Kiba and Hinata got married, huh?"

Sasuke nodded, "Yeah. They seemed really happy together. When their child is born, that will probably just add to their joy."

"You know, I can't believe that Hinata is pregnant. It's kind of shocking..." Naruto commented, remembering the very shy girl from his childhood. It was difficult to believe that Hinata was going to be a mother in the not so distant future. He glanced at Sasuke, who just shrugged. "Wait a minute... did you know about Hinata being pregnant?" Naruto asked him.

"She told me a few days ago."

Naruto gasped, "And you didn't tell me?"

The Uchiha rolled his dark eyes, "Why would I? It's her business and her choice who she tells."

"I guess so, but I didn't even know that Hinata and Kiba were together." Naruto said.

"That's because you're completely oblivious, dobe."

"I am not!" He grinned at his friend, "I just don't pay much attention to anything."

"Really? That's the most shocking thing I have ever heard." Sasuke answered dryly.

Naruto laughed, "Don't be such a bastard, Sasuke."

"Hn."

"Anyway, did you know about Hiashi and Tsume's plan to object during the ceremony or was it just pure coincidence?"

"Coincidence had nothing to do it." He smirked, "I planned the whole thing."

A confused look graced the blond's face, "How?"

"It wasn't that difficult. Last Sunday, I met Tsume for the first time and shortly after that, ended up eavesdropping on an argument between her and Hiashi. She was clearly opposed to the wedding and even head-butted Hiashi."

"Wow. She's not somebody I'd ever want to piss off."

"Tsume's a fighter, that's for sure." Sasuke said, before continuing his explanation of how he planned the objection, "Anyway, the next day, Tsume appeared at my house with Hiashi, who had been talking to the elders earlier about stopping the wedding. When that didn't go as planned, Hiashi had gone to Tsume. After they talked it over and came up with no good ideas, they came to me."

"And then what happened?"

"Tsume told me that she now knew about the wedding and the specific reason it was going to happen, namely the contract, which _I _could do nothing about. I told her that, and she started to yell at Hiashi, calling him 'an arrogant, power-hungry son of a bitch' for agreeing to such a thing. At the time, I remember thinking how annoying they both were, arguing back and forth like that. That's when it occurred to me that if they were so bothered by the wedding, why didn't they do something about it? I told them and Tsume jumped on the idea."

"So you wanted Tsume to make a big scene like she did?" Naruto asked, impressed with the raven-haired boy's ability to plan things out.

"Actually, I just wanted her to object. Threatening Koharu and fighting ANBU was her choice. Hiashi's role was to testify that the elders had in fact told him about the contract and letting Tsunade know. I needed them to speak first so it wouldn't look as though I was making anything up or breaking the contract by speaking up about it."

Naruto shook his head, disappointed, "I can't believe the elders would even order that kind of contract; get married or die. Not only is it unfair, it's a bunch of shit.''

"How do you think I felt? I was the one who had to deal with all their ridiculous nonsense for so long." Sasuke sighed, "I'm just glad it's finally over."

"So am I." Naruto agreed. He hesitated a moment before asking another question. "Sasuke, did you ever want to marry Hinata? Even if it was just for a second?"

He didn't reply immediately. Instead he looked at Naruto, who had asked him earlier for the whole truth and nothing but. "Naruto, Hinata is very kind and one of few people who don't irritate me, but I can honestly say that I've never wanted to marry her."

"Oh." Naruto was relieved by his words.

"Did I answer all your questions?" Sasuke asked him.

Naruto thought about it for a moment, "There's just one thing that I don't know..." He turned away from Sasuke, "Why are you here, Sasuke? You're free from the contract and now you can go wherever you want, so why did you come here?"

"I'm going with you, Naruto."

Eyes widened, Naruto turned around, "Why?"

"I want to go, so I'm going." Sasuke replied.

"What kind of reason is that? This is a dangerous mission! It'll be better if you just stay here, Sasuke."

"No, I'm not going to sit around and wait for you to get back." Sasuke said, tone resolute.

"Just go back."

"No."

The Uzumaki was getting annoyed by Sasuke's stubborn behavior, "Damn it, Sasuke! Just go home already!"

To Naruto's surprise, Sasuke laughed, "So this is what it feels like..."

Blue eyes blinked, not understanding, "What are you talking about?"

"This." Sasuke gestured around him. He explained, "For so many years, you chased after me, and I would always tell you to go home. Now I'm chasing after you, and you're telling me to go home. It's ironic, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that you do need to go home."

Sasuke folded his arms, "Naruto, I'm not letting you go without me, and that's final."

Naruto snorted, "Who says? I don't need your help for this mission. I can handle it by myself." He paused before adding, "Besides, you should use your freedom to start finding your own happiness. Once you find it, go after it."

"I know, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do." Sasuke said, walking up to Naruto. He put a hand under Naruto's chin, making their eyes meet. "Naruto, I think I have found my happiness."

Lost in the onyx eyes of his love, Naruto whispered, "Where did you find it?"

"Naruto, no matter where you may go and as long as I am by your side, I will have found my happiness..." After leaning his forehead against the blond's, Sasuke continued, "Because I have found my happiness with you." With that, Sasuke kissed him, sparks igniting at the touch of their lips. The world around them ceased to exist and all they knew was each other, lost in this moment in time.

His arms around Sasuke's neck, Naruto ended the kiss first, a bright blush upon his cheeks. "Sasuke, are you sure this is what you really want to do?" He inquired softly, referring to the mission in Ame and their very close proximity.

Still in Naruto's hold, the Uchiha nodded, "Yes. For years, I didn't see you, but sometimes, I would think about you and wonder if you were okay. Now that I'm back, what makes you think that I would let something bad happen to you? I don't want to lose you and I won't leave your side, no matter what happens."

"You know, even with both of us, it'll still be dangerous..." Naruto said, letting Sasuke know what he was getting himself into.

"So what?" Sasuke asked, before smiling at Naruto, "Don't you know that 'Dangerous' is my middle name?"

The blond laughed, "Yeah, right! You don't have a middle name, Sasuke."

He rolled his onyx eyes playfully, "It's just an expression, usuratonkachi. It's like someone saying that they eat danger for breakfast. You can't really eat a bowl of danger; it's not cereal or anything like that."

Naruto grinned, "What if a cereal is named 'Danger'?"

"Don't be stupid, Naruto. Who in their right mind would eat something called 'Danger'?"

"You never know..." Naruto answered, enjoying their off-topic banter. He sighed loudly, "Anyway, we should get going now. Ame is really far away and we've already wasted enough time here."

"Fine." Sasuke said, letting Naruto free from his hold. With Naruto leading the way, the two of them made their way through Konoha. Upon reaching the main gates, Naruto stopped. A mischievous grin was present on his face as he asked another question. "Earlier, when you said that you found your happiness with me, does that mean you like me?"

Surprised by the directness of the question, Sasuke blinked, not knowing how to react or what he should say. Fortunately for him, Naruto did. "Do you remember all the time I spent chasing after you, wanting to bring you back to Konoha?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Well," Naruto said, "I think your reason for saying what you said earlier is the exact same reason why I spent those years chasing you... At least, I _hope _it's the same reason."

"And what reason would that be?"

Naruto smiled, leaning close to Sasuke's face, "Because I don't want to be without you anymore..." The blond kissed him briefly, demonstrating his next words, "And I like you, more than anyone else."

A dusting of pink covered the dark-haired boy's cheeks. "Yeah, you're right. That's my main reason. The other was that it's the truth, just like you asked for."

Lacing his fingers with Sasuke's, Naruto smiled. "Thank you, Sasuke. I'm glad you're here with me."

"So am I." The Uchiha replied, tightening his hold on Naruto's hand, holding it firmly and with certainty. For a moment, Sasuke gazed down the path leading away from the village. As he did so, he couldn't help recalling a dream that he had recently that involved paths...

Naruto interrupted the memory, "Are you okay, Sasuke?" He questioned, noticing the faraway look in the raven-haired boy's eyes.

Sasuke blinked, thoughts returning back to the present, "Yeah, Naruto. Let's go."

Together, they left through the village gates, knowing that the task they needed to accomplish would be difficult. However, they were not worried as much as one may expect… Why is that, you ask?

Because at last, they were together, and to Sasuke and Naruto, that was reason enough.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_**Two Weeks Later...**_

Things had quieted down since the wedding. Tsunade was glad about that, but was still waiting for word about the status of Naruto's mission to Ame. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to wait too long.

The sound of a messenger hawk's claws scraping against the office window attracted her attention. She opened the window and the bird swooped in, alighting on her desk. Dutifully, the hawk presented her a claw with a message attached. Tsunade removed the correspondence and patted the bird upon its head, thanking and dismissing the creature. The hawk flew away, back through the open window and into the sky.

Tsunade unfolded the note and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was from Naruto. She sat at her desk and read:

_Dear Tsunade-baa-chan__, __  
__  
Hey! What's up? Nothing too big, I hope. The last thing I need is to have to rush back to Konoha and bail everyone out of trouble! Hehehe... I'm just kidding! __  
_

_Anyway, the mission is officially done, and was a __success__, just as I pro__m__ised. It wasn't as bad as you might think, but that's because Sasuke was here with me. He made sure everything went according to plan and even impressed Ame's leader, who said he was ''looking forward to working more closely with Konoha". See, didn't I say everything would be alright?__  
_

_Okay, I guess that's it... Oh, wait a second. __I have__ one__ more thing to say; Sasuke and I are going to travel around for a while before coming back to the village. __Don't worry, we'll be back! We're just going to take a break and have a look around the country... Uh-oh, Sasuke's glaring at me. I better wrap this up before he gets too mad. He's always a little cranky, especially when he gets tired. I'll see you later, Baa-chan!__  
__  
- Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of Konoha.__  
__  
P.S.: Say "Hi" to everyone for me!__  
_  
Smiling, Tsunade folded the letter and left her office. She entered the hallway and strolled through the corridors until she came across the door she was looking for. The blonde entered, still smiling. The sour expressions on the occupants' faces didn't ruin her cheerful mood.

Sitting next to a large stack of paperwork, Homura dropped his pen and rubbed his swelling wrist, wincing. Nearby, next to an even larger mountain of paperwork, Koharu muttered swear words, her pen scribbly away at the documents in front of her. Their supervisor, Hiashi, noticed Tsunade's presence and nodded to her in greeting.

Tsunade returned the gesture before excusing the Hyuuga for a break. The man looked relieved and promptly left the room.

"Damn it! Does this ghastly work ever end?" Koharu complained loudly, her pen running out of ink.

"My arthritis is acting up..." Homura mumbled, pain visible in his eyes. At last, he became aware of Tsunade, "What do you want? We're still busy."

Since the contract fiasco, Tsunade had punished the two scheming elders by forcing them to do all her paperwork, with Hiashi to supervise and make sure every single document was complete. In the past, both Homura and Koharu had always complained about Tsunade not completing her work. Now, they would get a glimpse of that chore and learn first-hand how difficult it really was.

Not trying to conceal her smile, Tsunade spoke, "Well, I just thought I'd let my 'helpers' know that Konoha is on better terms with Ame."

"The mission was a success? Who completed it?" Homura asked, trying to sound polite and ignore his pain.

"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha." She replied, awaiting their responses.

"What?" They said in a disbelief-filled unison.

Tsunade nodded, "Yes. Sasuke went to help Naruto, and together, they put an end to the rogue shinobi's plans."

"Oh." Koharu said, her frown deepening her facial wrinkles. After a moment to think, she asked, ''Naruto Uzumaki? Isn't that the Kyuubi jinchuuriki?"

"That's right." Tsunade said, sounding proud of the boy.

The elderly woman rolled her eyes in distaste, but said nothing more. Homura sighed as his gaze fell about the work that still needed to be completed. Just by looking at the three-foot-tall stack, his wrist started to throb painfully, "Please, Tsunade-hime, can you let us rest for a while?"

The blonde shook her head, "Sorry, but all work needs to be completed. Besides, you never gave Sasuke a break." Her eyes narrowed, "In addition, you're both still on punishment until further notice."

Both elders groaned simultaneously, not happy, but they weren't about to argue with their Hokage. If they did, she'd probably just keep piling on the work...

"Anyway, I just thought I'd keep you updated on Konoha's status." Tsunade said, turning on her heels to leave. Before she left, she added, "By the way, I know who will be the next Hokage..."

"Who?" The elders asked, wary of what she would say.

"Naruto Uzumaki, of course." She answered.

"And how do you know that?" Koharu asked, eyes narrowed.

Tsunade smiled confidently, "In this life, there are some things you just know..."

With that, she left the elders to the mountain of paperwork that they had earned for their schemes.

As she walked back to her office, Tsunade's smile never wavered. _There are some_ _things you just know,_ she thought. _They defy explanation__, but you can just feel it wi__ll happen__... It's just like how I know that __Naruto will come back soon, with__ Sasuke by his side._


	14. Epilogue: Our Own Happiness

Author's note: Hello, my dearest readers. We've come a long way and at last have reached the end of this journey. I would like to thank all the wonderful people who have added this story to favorites and followed it for so long. Thank you so very much!

To my reviewers: I can honestly say that you guys are the ultimate examples of pure awesomeness! You are the undisputed world champions of awesomeness and deserve a medal for your awesome efforts. You should also get certificates in awesomeness. That way, if anyone ever doubted your awesome status, you could show them that you are certified to be awesome. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness!

You know, when I first started writing this story, I thought for sure nobody would like it. But, fortunately for me, people did like it. At first, I didn't believe it, but readers would stop in consistently, telling me to continue it, and so I did. As time passed, writing this story became a labor of love and I'm sad to see its conclusion. Regardless of that, I'm still happy I spent so much time writing it and I hope you know that. This story was my first ever fanfiction, so it'll always be important to me.

Since we're at the end, your reviews count more than ever. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter and even the story as a whole. In addition, I'd like to bid you a fond farewell. I hope we meet again somewhere, but if we don't, then I wish you nothing but the best and a happiness of your own.

With pride, a hint of sadness, and no further delays, please allow me the honor of presenting the final chapter of, "Finding Your Own Happiness."

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Sasuke and Naruto would have been together since the very beginning.

_"There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved."_

- George Sand, French Romantic writer (1804-1876)

Epilogue: Our Own Happiness

_**Seven Years Later...**_

Sprinting, the ANBU rushed into Konoha hospital. "We have an emergency! He's dying!" The man screamed, panicked. His sudden outburst startled the receptionist, who asked who was dying.

The ANBU didn't reply. Instead, he dashed back through the double doors. He returned shortly with another ANBU, a woman. The two of them were supporting a third ANBU between them, a massive blood stain on his abdomen. The injured man wore a wolf mask, and didn't appear to be conscious anymore. He was silent and his head hung limply to the side. A stream of bright crimson liquid dripped to the floor from his wound.

"Help us! Save our captain!" The female ANBU pleaded, voice cracking.

Upon seeing the blood pooling on the floor, the receptionist screamed, terrified. Her shouts brought out medics who raced to the scene with a stretcher. Carefully, they took the injured captain from his subordinates and laid him down on the stretcher to carry him to the emergency room. The remaining two ANBU stood there motionless, scared for their captain.

"Don't just stand there like idiots!" The head medic snapped at them as the wounded man was carried away. "Come on! You got to come and tell us what the hell happened!"

The two ANBU nodded affirmatively, following the medic to the emergency room. As they followed him, the female ANBU began to explain what happened, "During our mission, we were ambushed. Luckily for us, our captain was able to keep us all safe." She paused, her voice becoming weak. Her companion touched her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She continued, "Anyway, I got attacked when I wasn't expecting it, but the captain saved me. He took the attack in my place..."

The ANBU stopped talking and the sound of sniffling could be heard. The medic looked at her, and for the first time noticed that there were blood stains on her gloves and shirt. She had tried to heal the wounded man, but clearly wasn't able to.

"Then what?" the medic asked softly.

The woman didn't speak, only cried more audibly. The other ANBU answered in her place, "We were able to launch a counter-attack and defeat the enemy, completing the mission. Once we did, we hurried back for medical treatment."

"I see..." replied the medic as they reached the emergency room. The ANBU captain was rushed in. The two remaining ANBU were about to follow, but the medic stopped them. "I'm sorry,'' he said, "but only the patient and medical staff are allowed beyond this point." With that, he disappeared into the room, leaving the two ANBU standing in the empty hallway.

The female ANBU removed her boar mask, wiping away her tears and the bright blonde hair that fell in her face, "It's all my fault if he dies."

"No, Ino. You didn't do anything wrong."

Ino wasn't comforted. "It is, Kiba. It's because I couldn't heal him!" she cried, sounding frustrated and sad.

Kiba sighed, and took off his hound mask to speak properly to his comrade, "Ino, he knew what he was doing and the risks that were involved." Although he was worried too, Kiba tried to smile at her. "Our captain is the best. Do you think he'd let something like this stop him?"

The blonde didn't reply, only shook her head while her tears still fell. Kiba put a comforting arm around her shoulder and she smiled at him, grateful for his strength.

"Thank you." She whispered to him. Kiba grinned, "What else are friends for?

Together, the two of them waited anxiously for news about their friend, praying for the best and dreading the worst.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A pink-haired woman was filling out forms when the medics entered with the bloody ANBU. She dropped her pen, knowing something bad was happening.

"Sakura!" A medic said, relieved to have found her.

"What's going on, Keiko?" Sakura asked.

Keiko's brown eyes were widened fearfully. "Just come. You need to see for yourself."

Sakura nodded, apprehensive. Quickly, she followed the young medic, who led her to a room where medics and their assistants were crowding around nervously as they tried to heal someone. One of the medics noticed Sakura, and pushed the others out of the way. The sight before her took her breath away, and not in a good way.

The wolf-masked man's vest was off, revealing the extent of the damage to his flesh. A very deep gash ripped across his stomach, blood still pouring out. His normally light colored skin was deathly pale. To Sakura, it was as pallid as a corpse's.

Getting over her shock, Sakura's medical instinct kicked in. She focused her chakra to her hands, and a green glow signaled she was ready to heal him. Sakura put her hands on the wound, trying to seal it by mending the muscle and skin. Despite her best efforts, she could feel that the wound still bled, refusing to be healed.

She turned to a nearby medic, "Remove his mask." She ordered, "Check and see if he's still breathing. Don't forget to check his pulse."

The medic nodded before doing as she asked. The wolf mask was taken off, revealing the handsome face beneath. His eyes were closed, and his blue-black hair provided a sharp contrast to his pale skin. The medic inspected him carefully, taking his pulse and noticing that both his breathing and heart rate were very slow. It was as if they were ready to stop at any minute.

Just as Sakura was going to ask for a status report, she glanced up from the wound to the man's face. Tears immediately gathered in her eyes as she recognized the ANBU who was at death's door.

"Sasuke-kun!" She said; anguish filling her voice at the sight of her friend so badly damaged. Sakura pushed more chakra into her hands, trying to close the wound. When that was unsuccessful, she cried out, "Go get Tsunade-sama! Right now!" After a moment, she spoke again, her voice pleading, "Somebody please go get the Hokage!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Sitting at his desk, Naruto looked bored. A pile of missions reports were sitting in front of him, waiting to be reviewed. To him, they looked almost expectant.

Naruto sighed as he picked up his pen. He had nothing else to do, so maybe it was time to do a little paperwork...

As his pen touched the paper, a sudden feeling of anxiousness swept over him. He looked around the office and even glanced out the window, checking for any disturbances. Nothing was out of the ordinary but he still felt strange.

Just then, the door to his office flew open. "Hokage-sama!" Shikamaru called, out of breath from sprinting all the way to the office.

Naruto's eyes widened fearfully as he noticed his advisor's sense of urgency. "What happened, Shikamaru?"

"Naruto, you need to get to the hospital right now." He said, "It's Sasuke and -"

The Nara didn't get to finish his sentence. As soon as Naruto heard Sasuke's name, he got up and rushed out of the room, running as fast as he could.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Naruto charged through the hospital, heading to the emergency room. He skidded to a halt when he saw Ino and Kiba waiting outside. Upon seeing Ino's tears and Kiba's pained expression, Naruto felt a stab of anguish run through his heart.

"Where is he?" Naruto asked them, trying to sound calm and not panic.

Both of them pointed to the closed door. Naruto nodded once before rushing in. Once inside, a medic tried to stop him. "Sir, you can't be in here!"

"Screw that!" Naruto proclaimed, pushing the medic out of his path. He darted forward, following the familiar voice of Tsunade. After a few twists through the corridors, he entered the room where she and Sakura were trying to heal Sasuke. Naruto pushed past a few medics in his way and gasped when he got a clear view of Sasuke. The sight of the Uchiha laying so still, his blood staining the floor and hospital linen… it was almost too much for Naruto to handle.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, tears making his eyes gleam wetly. Sakura briefly looked at him, her own sorrow evident. Her gaze returned to the bloody wound as she resumed her effort to heal.

"He was cut with a wind chakra-infused blade. The chakra was able cut him deeply, right down to the cellular level." Tsunade said gravely, explaining the situation. "That's why we're having so much trouble controlling the bleeding and why the injury is so severe."

"Will he survive?" Naruto asked softly.

Tsunade didn't look at him as she responded, "I don't know."

Naruto stepped forward, his eyes transfixed on Sasuke. Slowly, he reached out and grabbed one of Sasuke's hands, fighting the urge to break down and cry, even though he really wanted to. But if he did, all it would do is make Sasuke think that he had lost all hope. Naruto couldn't let the Uchiha feel like he had given up on him. Besides, he had loved Sasuke far too long to ever consider giving up.

Suddenly, a shrill beep was heard. Naruto, Tsunade, and Sakura glanced at the monitor attached to Sasuke. The readout showed that his heart was about to stop. Again, the machine beeped, this time, holding the note. That only meant one thing...

Death.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_Glancing around, Sasuke didn't know where he was. All around him, he could see nothing but empty whiteness. He took a few steps forward, hoping that he'd see something else, but saw nothing, only that same emptiness. Despite the apparent nothingness, Sasuke wasn't scared. In fact, he felt the opposite. To him, the endless nothing was peaceful and comforting._

_"Sasuke, is that you?" Asked a voice, surprised_

_Sasuke turned around, knowing the speaker. "Hey, Itachi." He said, greeting his brother who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere._

_"It's good to see you, little brother." Itachi commented, a smile on his face._

_"It's nice to see you too, but..."_

_"But what, Sasuke?"_

_"What am I doing here?" Sasuke asked, not understanding what was going on._

_"I wanted to talk to you for a minute."_

_"Alright, but where are we?"_

_"You're currently between worlds." Itachi informed him._

_"Oh... Does that mean I'm dead?"_

_Itachi took a minute to think about it, "Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure, but it's likely that you are. Or, at the very least, are almost dead."_

_"OK."_

_"What do you mean, 'OK'?"_

_"Just that." Sasuke replied._

_"You're handling this very well, Sasuke." Itachi remarked. "Most people get worried when they're told that it's possible that they're dead."_

_Sasuke shrugged, "I guess that's understandable, but I've never been the type to freak out over anything."_

_"That's true. As you've gotten older, you've become even more calm and rational." Itachi said. He paused briefly before asking, "Do you recall when we last spoke?"_

_The younger brother thought about it before replying. "Yeah. That dream involving two roads, right?"_

_Itachi nodded, "That's right. Tell me, Sasuke, did you ever end up finding your own happiness?"_

_A smile present on his face as he spoke, "As a matter of fact, I did."_

_"I'm glad. How did you find it?"_

_Sasuke was about to answer, but was interrupted by a loud shout,_

_"Sasuke!"_

_Both Uchihas looked around, not knowing where the voice was coming from, but it did sound as though it were from somebody who was very far away..._

"Sasuke!"_ The voice called out again, stronger than before. _"SASUKE!"

_At last, Itachi recognized the speaker, "That sounds like Naruto-kun..."_

_Sasuke nodded a soft smile present as he spoke, "It is. I'd know his voice anywhere."_

_"Is that so?" Itachi asked, before realizing the significance of what his brother had just said. Once he understood, he smiled, "You and Naruto-kun... Even after I first met him, I always knew that he loved you, whether or not either of you was fully aware of it."_

_"I can believe that." Sasuke replied, "Even when we were kids, you always knew everything, big brother."_

_"I didn't know everything; only what was important."_

_"Yeah..." Sasuke agreed. He smiled at his brother, "Can you do me a favor, Itachi?"_

_"That depends on what it is..."_

_"It's nothing extreme. I just want you to tell Mother and Father that I still love and miss them. Tell them not to worry about me because I'm happy with my life."_

_"I can do that, Sasuke." Itachi assured him._

"SASUKE!"

_The youngest Uchiha sighed, "I'd better go before Naruto does something idiotic, and he usually does."_

_"Yes, you should return to him and your life together. After all, it's not nice to keep someone waiting." Itachi said, walking up to his brother. He hugged him briefly and let him go before saying, "It's wonderful to know that you're happy, Sasuke. I'm truly glad for you."_

_"Thank you, Itachi. I'm sorry I can't stay longer."_

_"Don't worry about it. One day, we'll meet again, so it's not like I'll never see you after today."_

_Sasuke grinned, "I know, but hopefully, we don't meet up for a very, very, _very _long time."_

_Itachi laughed, "That's fine with me. Just remember that I'll be watching over you." He poked his little brother's forehead, "Be good, Sasuke and be sure to tell Naruto-kun that I said hello, okay?"_

_Sasuke nodded, "Alright. Later." He began to walk away from Itachi in the direction where he thought Naruto's voice was coming from. He took a few more steps before turning around to address his brother once more, "Thank you for everything you've ever done for me, Itachi. I appreciate it more than you know."_

_"You're very welcome, little brother. Now wake up."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

A flurry of light and sound appeared suddenly. Sasuke opened his eyes halfway to see Tsunade and Sakura healing him. He could feel as their chakra fixed the damage to his internal organs and the muscles over his stomach mend. It was unpleasant, but at least it didn't hurt too much. Feeling tired, Sasuke didn't have the strength to keep his eyes open, but he was aware of someone else holding his hand.

"We need another blood transfusion over here!" Tsunade yelled as she worked. There was a rustling noise as her orders were followed. Shortly afterward, she had another order, "I need stiches. The strongest you can get your hands on."

The requested items were given to her; a roll of thin steel threads, a needle, and wire cutters. She noticed Sakura was getting fatigued from using so much chakra. "That's enough, Sakura. I need you to hold the wound together while I stitch it closed."

"Right."

The green glow disappeared and together the women began the process of stitching it. Sasuke could feel as the needle slid through his skin, piercing it all the way through and closing the wound. Each motion hurt more than the last, but he didn't move, only tensed up.

The gentle pressure on his hand tightened slightly, "It's going to be alright, Sasuke." A voice said to him. The Uchiha relaxed.

"I don't think he can hear you, Naruto." Tsunade said gently, still threading the skin together. The silver thread shone red with blood under the bright light of the room.

"No, Baa-chan. Sasuke can hear me… I know he can. If he heard me earlier, what makes now any different?" Naruto asked.

"How do you know he heard you?" Sakura inquired softly.

"Because," Naruto said, "Sasuke is still here with me."

The Uchiha heard no more, completely drifting back off into unconsciousness.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_**Eight Hours Later...**_

It was midnight when Sasuke finally woke up. He tried to sit up, and immediately regretted it. A stab of pain greeted any sudden movement, even one as minor as sitting up. Groaning, Sasuke moved his head on the pillow. He looked towards the left and saw a head of spiked blond hair leaning on the bed, gently snoring. Naruto had fallen asleep waiting for Sasuke to wake up. A faint smile formed on Sasuke's face despite his pain. As always, Naruto was here with him. That loyalty was just one of the many things Sasuke loved about him.

"Naruto." He called, trying to wake up the blond.

"Hmm?" was the reply.

If he had the energy, Sasuke would have rolled his eyes. It was always a challenge to wake up Naruto and now would be no different. "Naruto, you can go home now. You're going to get a stiff neck if you sleep like that."

"It's fine, Sasuke..." Naruto mumbled, half-asleep. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide and his head shot up. "Sasuke! You're awake!"

The Uchiha didn't get to reply. Instead, he was hugged by a deliriously happy Naruto, who then proceeded to kiss him multiple times on his lips and cheeks.

"Stop that. I don't need you slobbering all over me!" Sasuke said, trying to sound mad, but wasn't able to. Despite his words, he liked the display of affection, and Naruto knew that.

Naruto stopped his actions so he could grin at Sasuke, "I thought you liked it when I slobbered all over you..."

Sasuke grit his teeth, feeling a wave of pain, "I do, but now isn't the time for that."

Understanding what he meant, Naruto took his hands off him. "Sorry." He apologized and kissed him on the cheek once more before sitting back down on the chair next to the bed. "Anyway, how are you feeling, Sasuke?"

"I was recently stabbed in the stomach. How do you think I'm feeling?"

Naruto was about to reply, but was interrupted before he could. "Judging by his tone, I'd say he was fine." Tsunade remarked, entering the room. She stood next to the bed and smiled at Naruto, "Why am I not surprised to see you here so late?"

He grinned, "I can't get enough of Sasuke. He's just that irresistible."

Tsunade laughed, knowing that he was kidding. At least, partly kidding. She knew that there was far more than an ounce truth to his words.

After hearing Naruto, Sasuke smirked, "Even when I'm all cut up and bloody, Naruto still wants me."

Feigning outrage, Naruto snorted, "I didn't say that I wanted you."

"Yeah, but you were thinking it."

The blond gasped and was about to reply in a very inappropriate way when Tsunade stopped him. "That's enough, you two. I'd rather not hear the rest of this." Much to her embarrassment, she had accidently heard this type of conversation before and knew exactly where it was headed.

Naruto crossed his arms, "Fine, but Sasuke is the one that started it."

Tsunade sighed, "I know, Naruto. I was here." The blonde left the side of the bed and checked the heart monitor that was attached to Sasuke. The readings were a bit weaker than Tsunade liked to see, but at least they were stable. "Well, Sasuke, all things considered, you're doing pretty well."

"Alright. When can I leave?" Sasuke asked her.

"Are you crazy or just stupid? You were just severely injured and nearly died!" Tsunade growled, annoyed with his impatience. "I didn't spend all that time and effort healing you just so you can end up getting an infection and dropping dead from it!"

"Wait a second... Sasuke isn't fully healed yet?" Naruto asked, his concerned gaze switching from Tsunade to Sasuke.

Tsunade shook her head, "No. Sakura and I repaired nearly all the internal damage, especially the organs and muscle. The skin was stitched to help close the wound, but it needs to heal naturally. As a result, the wound can become infected over time."

Sasuke winced at the prospect of an infection, "How long will I need to be in the hospital?"

Tsunade thought about it, "I'd say about a week. The wound should have healed sufficiently on the inside and hopefully the chance of bleeding again will have disappeared. The sutures will be removed in two weeks or less."

Naruto frowned. He didn't want to leave Sasuke alone in the hospital. "Baa-chan, can I stay with Sasuke until he can go home?"

"Naruto, you know that you have responsibilities to tend to. As Hokage, you need to perform them, no matter what." Tsunade said to him. Naruto had been Hokage for almost four years. He was an ideal leader, well-liked by the villagers and only had Konoha's best interests in mind. His only problem was that he often tried to evade his responsibilities when it came to legal documents and mission reports. In short, Naruto didn't like paperwork... just like his predecessor, Tsunade.

With that in mind, the former Hokage sighed, "Tell you what, Naruto. I'll help you with some paperwork so you can spend more time with Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes lit up, reflecting his joy. "Really, Baa-chan?"

"Yes, Naruto. Just keep an eye on Sasuke and make sure he doesn't try to leave earlier than he should."

"You got it, Baa-chan!" He assured her before grinning at Sasuke. "Did you hear that? I get to stick around and bug you for as long as I want!"

Sasuke sighed, "I guess that puts an end to any peace and quiet I might have had..."

"Damn right!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke sighed again, knowing he was trapped. "You're such a dobe, Naruto."

"Shut up, Sasuke! At least, I'm not a bastard like you."

Tsunade watched as the two of them continued trading insults. As she watched them, Tsunade laughed, knowing that they were just teasing each other. Teasing and name-calling was just their way of showing love. Since they teased each other rather frequently, wouldn't be logical to conclude that they really did love each other?

They did, but just had a funny way of showing it.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_**Four Days Later...**_

Ashi Inuzuka noisily darted through the hallways at Konoha hospital, making a nuisance of himself as he was often prone to doing. Following him and apologizing to the nurses for the disturbance was Kiba Inuzuka, his father and Midori, six-year-old Ashi's canine companion.

"Ashi, you need to calm down! This is a hospital!" Kiba yelled, trying to stop his son. The little boy stopped, frowning. "I know that, but I want to see Sasuke!" He said, glancing around at the many rooms in the hallway. His pale lavender eyes fell upon Midori. "Midori, go find Sasuke!"

Midori's green eyes widened, uncertain. She looked at Kiba for approval. Kiba sighed, "Go ahead, Midori. This place is like maze and you know that Ashi won't stop until he finds what he's looking for."

The small brown puppy nodded, sniffing the air. Once she determined where they needed to go, she informed Ashi and Kiba. "Okay, follow me." The father and son nodded, dutifully following Midori through the hallways. Despite her very young age, Midori showed exceptional ability to track people. It was rare when she couldn't find someone. Now would be no exception.

"Here we are." Midori said, her bright eyes locked on the correct room door. Ashi cheered, and hugged Midori before charging in and startling Sakura, who was about to start checking Sasuke's wound. Nearby, Naruto grinned. "Looks like you have visitors, Sasuke."

Seeing Naruto, Ashi gasped, "Hokage-sama!" He turned around and started jumping around, alerting his father. "Dad, it's the Hokage!"

"I know, Ashi." Kiba laughed, ruffling his son's hair. Ashi smoothed his black hair down, trying to look presentable in front of the village leader. He bowed to Naruto and even told Midori to do the same. The puppy looked confused, but lowered her head anyway. Around them, the adults laughed. Every time Ashi saw Naruto, he would perform the same ritual. The boy looked up to Naruto and considered him to be his hero.

"Ashi, you can just call me Naruto. I really don't mind." Naruto said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"No, I need to show my respect." Ashi responded, still bowing. He looked up and finally remembered why he had come to visit. "Sasuke! How are you?" Ashi asked, darting up to Sasuke.

The Uchiha blinked, surprised with how much energy the little boy always had. "Fine, but I still have stitches."

Ashi gasped, "Ooh! Can I see? Can I see?" He asked excitedly.

"I don't know, Ashi... Do you think you can handle it?" Sasuke asked him.

"Of course!" Ashi proclaimed confidently.

Next to him, Sakura laughed, "Come on, Sasuke-kun. Can't you see how excited he is?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." He lifted up his shirt, revealing a large, straight, partially-healed slice above his navel that went across his abdomen. Silver sutures held the wound closed.

Ashi gasped, "That is so cool!" He turned to Kiba, excited. "Dad, can I get stitches like Sasuke?"

"No! If you did, your mom would kill me!" Kiba said, but was actually amused by his son and how similar Ashi and he were, both physically and mentally. In addition to their similar personalities, Ashi looked almost exactly like his father. The only differences were his pale Hyuuga eyes and dark hair. Those two traits had been inherited from his mother.

"What would I kill you for, Kiba-kun?" inquired a voice.

"Mom!" Ashi cried, racing towards her. After she entered the room, Hinata kissed her son's forehead. She smiled at Sasuke, "I hope Ashi-kun wasn't too much of a bother, Sasuke-kun. You know how much energy he has."

"Don't worry about it, Hinata. I'm used to him by now." Sasuke replied. Since their almost-wedding years ago, Sasuke and Hinata had become good friends. After Ashi was born, Hinata had even asked him and Naruto to be the boy's god-parents, an offer which was promptly accepted. Since then, Naruto and Sasuke had an active role in Ashi's life.

"What did the doctor say, Hinata?" Kiba asked his wife. In addition to visiting Sasuke today, Hinata had seen a doctor because she hadn't been feeling well.

Hinata looked at her family and friends that were present and decided that now would be as good a time as any to share her news. "Well," she began, kneeling in front of Ashi so she was eye level with him. Ashi's curiosity was evident, but he remained quiet while his mother spoke. "Let's just say that Ashi is getting a new little brother or sister."

"Congratulations, Hinata!" Sakura said, hugging her. Naruto followed suit and even Sasuke congratulated her news. Next to Hinata, Kiba gaped; shocked that he would be a father once again. He got over his shock when he heard Ashi, who was holding Midori in his arms, "I don't get it... Are you and Mom going to buy me a brother or sister from somewhere?"

Upon seeing his son's genuine bewilderment and earnest face as he held his beloved puppy, Kiba smiled at him, realizing that his shock was unfounded. He really didn't mind another child. If he or she was anything like Ashi, then everything would be just fine. "No, son. Your mom is going to have another baby, and I couldn't be happier."

"Wow..." Ashi said, before excitedly talking to Midori, "Did you hear that, Midori? I'm going to have a brother or sister!"

Midori wagged her tail, "I'm glad you're happy about it, Ashi-kun."

He grinned, "Of course! Why shouldn't I be?" He looked up his parents, "Mom, Dad, can we go out and celebrate the good news?"

"Alright. Where do you want to go?" Hinata asked, delighted that her son and husband had taken the news well.

"Ice cream! Let's get ice cream!" The six year old said without a moment's hesitation.

"Okay. We'll do that." Kiba said. He glanced at Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. "You're all welcome to come with us if you guys want to."

Sasuke sighed, "I can't. I'd like to, but I'm under orders to stay for a few more days."

Sakura nodded, "That's right, and I'm in the middle of my shift here."

"What about you, Naruto?" Kiba asked. Naruto didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at Sasuke, who didn't notice. "Well..."

"It's okay, Naruto-kun. I understand." Hinata said. She knew that Naruto would feel bad if he went out and left Sasuke stuck in the hospital. Hinata was well aware of Naruto's devotion to the Uchiha.

"Thanks, Hinata." Naruto replied, grateful for her astuteness.

She nodded, and clapped her hands once, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, we're going now. It was nice seeing everyone, and I hope you recover quickly, Sasuke-kun. We're all waiting to see you out of here."

"Thank you, Hinata. I can't wait to get out of here." Sasuke said. He glanced at Ashi, "And thank you for visiting."

"You're welcome!" Ashi promptly replied. He grinned, "But if you still want to thank me, you could always buy me some ice cream..."

"We'll see about that, Ashi."

"Wahoo!" Ashi cheered, excited at the prospect of more of his favorite treat. He put Midori back down on the ground, "Are you ready, girl?" He asked her, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Understanding him, Midori nodded affirmatively. Ashi waved at everyone present before shouting, "Bye-bye, everyone! Midori and I are going to get ice cream!" With that, the little Inuzuka raced away, his loyal ninken running off with him.

Kiba groaned, exasperated. "Why does he always run off like that?" He asked aloud before leaving the room to run after his son. "Ashi, come back here!"

"There's never a dull moment with my boys." Hinata said, clearly happy. Still smiling, she sighed, "Well, I'd better go help Kiba-kun. When Ashi-kun and Midori-chan team up, they can only be found with the Byakugan." Hinata waved bye before strolling away to go catch her mischievous son.

Once she left, Sasuke sighed, "That kid is crazy. Hinata and Kiba are really going to have their hands full with one more."

"Yeah, but you got to admit that he is a good kid." Sakura said. She thought about it before adding, "Well, when he's not doing anything bad, that is."

"True. He certainly does keep you on your toes." Sasuke admitted. He glanced at Sakura, "Anyway, how is my injury healing?"

"Let's see." She lifted up his shirt, examining the wound by trailing her finger around it. "There's no swelling, little to no redness, and no more bleeding." She pulled down his shirt before grinning at him, "You're doing great, Sasuke-kun."

"Really, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, relieved to know that everything was going well.

She winked at Naruto, "Of course, Naruto. You just need a little patience and everything will work out." Her eyes were drawn to watch she wore on her left wrist, a gift from her boyfriend, Rock Lee. "Uh-oh... Speaking of patients, I got to run. Tsunade-sama asked me to supervise some interns and I'm already late." Quickly, she hugged Sasuke and pecked him on the cheek, ''I'm glad you're doing so well, Sasuke-kun. As long as you don't do anything stupid, you'll be out of here before you know it."

"Hn… Thanks, Sakura." Sasuke said as she let him go. "Now go before Tsunade goes on the war path."

"Right. See you later boys!" With that, the pink-haired woman skipped away.

Sasuke yawned as he leaned back in his bed. He closed his eyes, and felt a weight on the bed. He cracked open an eye briefly before closing it once again. "Naruto, why are you grinning at me like an idiot?"

"No reason… except the fact that I'm so proud of you."

This got Sasuke's attention. He looked at Naruto who was seated next to him. "Proud of what?"

Naruto grinned widened. "You're just so sweet and well-liked nowadays! It's hard to believe that you're the same cold-hearted bastard from a few years ago."

Sitting up, Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That's not true. I'm as cold-hearted as ever. I'm just better at disguising it, that's all."

"You wish! Now, you're just one big pile of sweetness."

"Sweetness? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke said, both outraged and embarrassed. A slight blush appeared on his face as he glared at Naruto.

Naruto was unfazed by the glare. He had seen it so many times that it lost all its power to intimidate him. "Come on, Sasuke. Don't get all huffy and mad. It's good to be considered sweetness." He scooted closer to the Uchiha. "Don't you want to know why it's good?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't care."

Ignoring him, Naruto provided the answer. "It's good to be considered sweetness because people like sweetness."

"Naruto, you are an idiot. If I don't like sweets, what makes think that I would like whatever sweetness is?" Sasuke asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"But Sasuke, you seem to be forgetting the fact that _I_ like sweetness." Naruto said softly. He put his hand on the side of Sasuke's face, trailing his thumb across the corner of the Uchiha's mouth.

Sasuke smirked, "If you like it so much, why don't you prove it?" With that indirect invitation, Naruto leaned forward and kissed him, relishing the taste and feel of Sasuke's lips against his own. Oblivious to the world around them, neither noticed the light footsteps entering the room.

They did, however, notice the squeal from the visitor. "Oh my gosh! That is so cute!"

Startled, Sasuke pushed Naruto away from him, nearly making him fall head-first off the bed. Naruto recovered from the sudden jolt, but felt a little dizzy. Trying to will away the blush that was no doubt present on his face, Naruto greeted the visitor. "Hey, Ino! I didn't notice you there!"

"I can see why. You looked very busy." Ino replied, grinning.

"Oh… well, that was just… Um… nothing." Naruto stammered.

"If you say so." Ino replied, not believing him. She smiled at Sasuke. "Anyway, I'm just here to check up on my heroic captain."

"I'm fine, Ino. Just a few more days here then I can leave." Sasuke said, slightly irked by her interruption, but didn't mind it too much because he knew that she was just worried about him. After all, he had risked his life to save hers.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that!" She said, close to tears of joy and relief.

"Are you alright, Ino?" Naruto asked, concerned.

Ino nodded,"Yeah, I'm great. I'm just really happy that everything's okay." She took a breath to calm down. Once she did, her smile returned. "Sasuke-kun, thank you for always looking out for me and everyone else under your command. We all appreciate it and couldn't have asked for a better captain."

"You're welcome, Ino." Sasuke said, touched by her words. He smiled at her,"Just so you know, I don't do anything special."

"That's where you're wrong, Sasuke-kun. You brought all of us ANBU together, making us a real team. Because of you, we care what happens to one another." She said. "Don't forget that because of you many of us became friends, like Kiba and I, for example."

Naruto's surprise was evident on his face. "How did Sasuke make you and Kiba friends?"

"He forced us." Ino replied, as though it was obvious. Naruto still didn't understand so the blonde offered an explanation. "You see, Kiba and I didn't always get along. I thought he was an idiot and we would often argue and fight. However, Sasuke-kun didn't like that one bit. He said that we were being childish and forced us to work together even if we didn't want to. Eventually, I slowly started to realize that it wasn't so bad to work with Kiba. He's a good guy when you get to know him, even if he is a little annoying sometimes."

"Oh. I didn't realize Sasuke cared so much…" Naruto said, grinning.

Sasuke folded his arms. "It's not that I cared; I just wanted them to stop bickering like a bunch of kids."

"Whatever you say, Sasuke…" Naruto said, patting the Uchiha on the head and earning himself a punch from an irritated Sasuke. The Hokage rubbed the attacked arm and winced. "Ow. You're mean."

"And don't you forget it, usuratonkachi."

Seeing them, Ino cooed. "Aw... you two are just too cute together. Now kiss and make up."

"What?" they cried in unison.

'You heard me. Kiss and make up." Ino said, her tone not leaving any room for argument.

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged looks, each wondering why Ino would make such a request. They both knew how stubborn she was and easily came to the conclusion that she wouldn't leave until she got what she asked for.

Ino tapped her foot impatiently. "I'm waiting."

"Fine, but afterward, you better leave." Sasuke said. "And that's an order!''

Ino saluted him. "Yes, Captain. Understood."

"Good. Come here, Naruto." Sasuke said, grabbing him and pulling him close before kissing him deeply enough to take Naruto's breath away. After, Sasuke calmly let him go; leaving a stunned, red-faced Naruto not knowing what just happened.

"Are you happy, Ino?" Sasuke asked her. His dark eyes widened as he saw the small digital camera in her hands. "What the fuck is that for?" he screeched, pointing at it.

Ino blinked, trying to look innocent. "Well, Sasuke-kun, I just took a picture of you two."

Sasuke grit his teeth, "Why?"

Getting nervous, Ino quickly explained. "Kakashi bet me that I couldn't get a picture of you kissing Naruto. I said that I could, and from the look of things, I succeeded."

Sasuke's onyx eyes shifted from their normal shade to a bright crimson. His Sharingan gaze made Ino take a few steps back, terrified of his wrath. "It was just a bet?" he asked, voice low and menacing.

Ino nodded frantically. "I meant no harm by it."

Blood-red eyes flashed angrily. "In that case…" the eyes turned back to onyx as he spoke. "It's okay. I don't care."

The blonde blinked. "Huh?"

"Yeah, it's fine. " Sasuke assured her. "Just go win your bet and claim whatever prize he promised you… What did he promise you, anyway? "

"He said he'd take Shikamaru, Chouji, and I out for barbecue. " She smiled. "Just like Asuma-sensei used to when we were kids…"

"Then why are you standing around here if you have plans? Go."

"Are you sure?"

Sasuke nodded. "Just get out of here and all is forgiven."

"You're the best, Sasuke-kun!" Ino said, happy that she wasn't in trouble with him. However, she didn't want to risk angering him and left quickly, in case he changed his mind and decided that he would be angry with her. On her way out, Ino closed the door.

"That was weird…" Naruto commented, staring at the closed door.

"It was." Sasuke agreed.

"Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Do you remember what I was telling you earlier about being proud of you?"

"What about it?"

Naruto leaned against him, smiling. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You're just so much nicer to everyone now and it's great."

"I am not nicer. Instead of being cold outright, I now do it with more subtlety." Sasuke said, but he knew Naruto was right. He was nicer to everyone because they were important to Naruto. Since Naruto was the most important person in Sasuke's life, the least he could do was value the people that Naruto cared about. Besides, they weren't so bad… sometimes.

"Well, whatever your reasons are, just keep up the good work." Naruto replied.

"Hn."

There was a comfortable silence between them as they sat together, enjoying their privacy. After a moment, Sasuke had an idea. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"When do you think Sakura will be back?"

Naruto looked at him, puzzled. "I don't know. Probably not for a while, I guess. Why?"

"No reason." Sasuke replied casually. His onyx eyes gleamed and he smirked at Naruto. "What do you want to do to pass the time?" he asked, a suggestive lilt present in his voice.

As was often the case, Naruto failed to recognize what he meant. "Whatever you want, Sasuke. I don't care."

Another smirk. "Alright. What if I want you, Naruto?"

At last, Naruto understood. He grinned and climbed onto the Uchiha's lap before kissing him. "Sounds like fun."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

_**Fifteen Minutes Later… **_

"What the fuck did you do?" Tsunade screamed at Sasuke, a bright red puddle of blood on his shirt. Although he wasn't afraid of her, Sasuke looked away. "Nothing."

The woman's eyes fell upon Naruto and the guilty look on his face. She brought her gaze lower and noticed the blood on his fingers and the small amount of crimson on the front of his shirt. The blood on Naruto's shirt looked as though it had been transferred from Sasuke's. It was as if Naruto had been pressed up against Sasuke…

Tsunade rolled her eyes, irked that they would be so reckless. "You two never listen, do you?''

"Sometimes…" Sasuke answered.

"Don't be a smart-ass, Sasuke." Tsunade snapped at him. Realizing that she was letting her anger get the better of her, she sighed and tried to relax… and failed. "Do you realize that you're both going to send me to an early grave if you don't stop aggravating me?"

"But we didn't do anything!" Naruto protested.

"Then explain to me what happened!" Tsunade yelled.

"Uh…" Naruto began, a bright flush of color on his cheeks as he wondered the best way to describe what had happened without angering her further. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to because Sakura appeared at the doorway holding the materials needed to re-stitch a wound. "Tsunade-sama, I'll take care of Sasuke-kun. After all, it was just an accident, wasn't it, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded, grateful for Sakura's presence. "Yeah. It was just a freak accident!"

Tsunade's skepticism was more than clear, but she didn't argue and allowed Sakura to attend to Sasuke. She watched as Sakura lifted up the shirt and saw how several of the sutures were shoved into the skin as though someone had been putting a good amount of force on them. Or, at the very least, had been leaning on them… That would certainly explain the blood on Naruto's hands.

Sakura wasn't in the least bit surprised by what she saw. As a result, she calmly worked, and even offered an explanation about what she was doing. "I'm going to switch from steel stitches to dissolvable. The wound has healed enough that it doesn't need the support offered by steel. With the dissolvable ones, there won't be the knots on each of the individual steel sutures and the chance of the each of the knots poking into the flesh. I'm keeping some of the steel ones already in place that haven't been twisted or damaged. All the ruined ones need to be taken out." Once she finished her stitch work, she unrolled some gauze and placed it over the wound, carefully taping it in place. Sakura smoothed it down once more. "Just a precaution. The last thing anyone needs is more bleeding." With that, she was done and even took a few steps back to admire her work. "What do you think, Tsunade-sama?"

The older woman nodded in approval. "Perfect as ever, Sakura. It's good to know that at least one young person in this room has a brain in their head."

Sasuke glared at her for the comment directed at him and Naruto, but said nothing to her. Instead, he addressed his pink-haired friend. "Thanks, Sakura. It's such a relief to know that we have at least one competent medic who behaves like a professional."

"Keep talking like that and you'll have more stitches before you know it, brat." Tsunade said, warning him.

"Hn."

Sakura didn't like the tension so she decided to change the subject. She pointed at Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, what is that mark on your neck? It looks like a bruise."

Hiding the mark, Sasuke clapped a hand over the spot she indicated. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I see..." Sakura said, her knowing gaze switching to Naruto, who was redder than your average cherry. "Naruto, can you explain how Sasuke magically got a bruise on his neck and why it happened when his wound decided to re-open?"

Somehow, Naruto turned even redder, his gaze on Sasuke as he silently asked for help. Sasuke nodded, agreeing to help him out. "You want to know what happened, Sakura?"

"Yes."

"Alright. This is kind of difficult to say, but… " Sasuke took a deep breath. "Naruto forced himself on me."

"WHAT?" Naruto screeched, his embarrassment replaced by disbelief.

Sasuke continued. "I was trying to sleep and he wouldn't take no for an answer. I had no choice but to give in to his demands."

"That is a bunch of shit!" Naruto yelled. "You're the one that said you wanted me! You made the first move!"

The Uchiha didn't say anything, only smirked at Naruto as he freaked out and tried to defend himself to the women present. "I didn't do any of that!" he wailed. "Sasuke is lying! You got to believe me, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura and Tsunade exchanged looks and smiled, each agreeing with Ino's assessment of the couple: Sasuke and Naruto really were cute together. "Okay, Naruto, I believe you." Tsunade said, sounding serious. "Regardless of that, I think a brief separation is needed until you and Sasuke can work out your issues."

"But –"

"No buts, Naruto. You need to get back to work and Sasuke needs to finish recovering." Sakura said, hands on hips. "Sasuke-kun, what do you think?"

Sasuke reclined on the bed. "I'm tired. Do whatever you want."

"OK. Let's go, Naruto." Tsunade grabbed his arm and lead him away while he protested about leaving Sasuke. Sakura followed Naruto and Tsunade. As she did, she knew that it was a little unfair what they were doing to Naruto, but she also knew that he had responsibilities as Hokage and he couldn't be distracted from them. Besides, a little time apart wouldn't hurt anyone. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, after all.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

_**One Week Later…**_

Under the setting sun, Naruto sat atop the Hokage Monument. His blue eyes scanned the village below, watching as the people carried out their daily routines. He smiled as he recalled looking down from this same spot years ago. It was comforting to know that some things never changed in the village. Sure, he had become Hokage and the council had now different members, but the villagers themselves never seemed to change. To him, it was nice.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the presence behind him. "What are you doing up here, Naruto?

Naruto looked up at the person and smiled. "Nothing, Sasuke. I was just admiring the view."

"Can I join you?"

The Hokage nodded, patting the spot next to him. "Did you finally get out of the hospital?"

Sasuke sat down. "Yeah, I just left. I told Sakura to let you know. Did she tell you?"

"She did, but I had a meeting with the council. I just got out a few minutes ago."

"Oh. How did it go?"

Naruto shrugged. "It was nothing special. We were just discussing where the chuunin exams would be held this year."

"No problems, then?"

"Nope. Everything's fine." Naruto answered. His answer came as no surprise to anyone. All the current council members respected Naruto. The council consisted of Tsunade, Tsume Inuzuka, Hiashi Hyuuga, Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka. The previous village elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, had left the village several years prior; after Naruto had become Hokage. The rumor regarding their decision to leave was based around Naruto. Not only was their male Hokage openly in love with a man, that man was Sasuke Uchiha, the former missing-nin turned ANBU captain whom the elders had tried (and failed) to have executed. Homura and Koharu couldn't stand the idea and left, completely disgusted. Interestingly enough, nobody seemed to be unhappy about their absence.

"Are you alright, Naruto? You're quiet today." Sasuke observed.

Naruto shifted in his seat. "I'm fine." He hesitated before saying. "Sasuke, when you were first hospitalized, you know that you were considered clinically dead, don't you?"

Sasuke nodded. He had a feeling that they would eventually talk about it. "Yeah. That's what Tsunade told me."

"This is going to sound weird, but… how was it?"

"It was almost like being in a dream, but it felt different somehow." Sasuke explained, remembering it. "By the way, Itachi says hello."

"Huh? You saw Itachi?"

Sasuke leaned against Naruto, holding him close. "I did. He asked me if I had found my own happiness."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that I had. Then he asked me how." He paused to kiss Naruto before continuing. "I was about to reply but I heard someone calling me."

Naruto grinned. "Me, right?"

"The one and only. Anyway, Itachi also heard you and figured it out. He was happy for us.'' A wistful expression was visible in Sasuke's eyes as he spoke.

Naruto knew how much that meant to Sasuke. He nuzzled him affectionately. "Itachi is really something, huh?"

"He really is." Sasuke said in agreement. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Naruto, you make me happy, but do I make you happy?"

The blond was surprised by the question. "Sasuke, you know that you do. Even when you're pissing me off, I'm still happy to be with you."

Sasuke smirked at him. "Even after the stitches incident last week?"

"Yes. But why did you have tell Sakura-chan and Tsunade-baa-chan that I 'forced' myself on you?" Naruto asked, still miffed about that.

"It was funnier that way." Sasuke replied, earning a frown from his love. He sighed. "That and you needed to get back to your Hokage duties. The last thing Konoha needs is an absentee Hokage because of me."

Naruto hugged him. "Aww…You really care about the village, don't you?"

"I only care about it because you do. To me, that's reason enough."

"You must really love me, huh?" Naruto asked him, eyes bright and happy.

"Yes. I love you more than you'll ever know, Naruto."

"I love you too, Sasuke.'' He said. "Do you know why?"

Sasuke was interested to know. "Tell me, Naruto."

"Let's see…" Naruto began. "I love you because you aren't afraid to tell me off when I deserve it. I love how you make sarcastic comments and insult everyone, no matter who they are. I love –"

Sasuke interrupted him. "Are you aware that you're making me sound terrible?"

Naruto grinned. "Maybe, but it's the truth. The point I was trying to make is that I love you for who you are, bastard tendencies and everything. You know what else I love?"

"What?"

"This." Naruto gestured around him. "The life we share. Even though it gets difficult sometimes, I still love it because it's our own happiness."

"Hn… I guess you're right about that." Sasuke smiled at him. "Isn't our happiness a little bizarre sometimes?"

Naruto laughed. "Hell, yeah! But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole world!"

"Really? Not even for a lifetime supply of ramen?"

"I don't know. I'd have to think about it." Naruto said, wiggling out his hold. He stood up, admiring the setting sun's glow over the village. Sasuke watched him, his onyx eyes reflecting his love for Naruto. Briefly, he wondered how he had ever managed to survive without Naruto being such a constant, wonderful presence in his life. He didn't dwell on it, though. Instead, he decided to be grateful that he had Naruto, the idiotic, ramen-loving, hyperactive Hokage; his one and only love.

Sasuke was pulled out of his thoughts by Naruto's voice. "Hey, Sasuke. I thought about it and decided that our own bizarre happiness is worth more than a lifetime supply of ramen." He said. "But it's not as tasty as ramen."

_Of course he'd say that. _Sasuke thought, smiling. "Hey, Naruto. Did I tell you that I got my stitches removed?"

"And?"

"You're such a dobe, Naruto."

Naruto frowned. "I am not! If you have something to say, just say it."

"Fine. All of my sutures are gone, which means my injury is healed." Sasuke smirked. "Because of that, I can do whatever I want now…"

Naruto's eyes widened. He gasped. "Does that mean you can… "

"What, Naruto?" Sasuke purred, advancing toward him and giving his best seductive smirk.

"You can take me to get ramen!" Naruto cheered, assuming that's what Sasuke referred to. When he heard that, the Uchiha stopped. "I wasn't talking about food."

"Then what were you talking about?" Naruto asked, oblivious as ever. Oddly enough, Sasuke didn't care. Much to Naruto's surprise, he even laughed about it. "Naruto, don't ever change!" he said, kissing him. He grabbed Naruto's hand, leading him toward Ichiraku. "Let's go eat. You're really going to need energy later on."

Realization finally hit Naruto like a ton of bricks. He stopped walking. "Wait a minute… you were actually talking about something dirty, weren't you?" he asked accusingly.

"I was, and you'll find out later exactly what I meant." Sasuke replied.

"Alright, but you're a pervert."

Sasuke just smirked. "Maybe, but where do you think I got it from?"

"I don't know.'' Naruto replied, trying to sound innocent. A mischievous twinkle was visible in his eyes. "Hey, Sasuke. Want to make things a little more interesting?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"A race. Last one to Ichiraku is on the bottom tonight!" Naruto said.

The Uchiha nodded. "Fine. Let's go, usuratonkachi!"

With that, the two of them raced off the Hokage Monument and through the village of Konoha, competing just for the fun of it. As expected, taunts and insults were traded back and forth between them. Around them, life moved on at its own steady pace, but they didn't pay too much attention to it. Naruto and Sasuke were far more interested in each other than anything else as they reveled in their moments of fun.

But beyond that, they were enjoying the happiness that they had found with each other - their own kind of happiness - and that's the most important part of all.

_**THE END**_


End file.
